Return to the Labyrinth
by PauletteZ
Summary: Almost 20 years after the events of the movie Sarah must return to the Labyrinth to find Jareth and convince him to restore order to the Goblin City. This story is a sequel to the classic Jim Henson Company movie and contains all our favorite characters from the movie, as well as a few new ones of my own. Romance/ adult themes (not X rated adult, just adult)
1. Vacation Time

Sarah stared into the mirror at her dressing table; not studying her actual reflection so much as the subtle marks her life had left upon her. At 34 she had no real need to worry about her looks, although aging was always in the background thoughts of any actress. The fine lines around her eyes and mouth would not be noticeable when she was on stage. Sarah did not resent them as she knew they had formed primarily because she spent so much time laughing and smiling. Who could resent having lived a happy life?

However, in the last few months she hadn't been doing quite as much laughing. Her smiles had not been quite as bright or as genuine as usual. As Sarah stared at her reflection she tried to pinpoint what exactly was different lately, but the answer was not to be found in her reflection. She had finished removing her stage makeup so she shook off the moodiness that was threatening to descend upon her and got ready to leave the theater. The makeup she applied before leaving work was more subtle than her stage look, but still quite dramatic. For a Broadway actress, there was always someone watching. This evening there were only three photographers at the exit along with a dozen or so fans. Thursday performances were usually quieter. Sarah stopped to sign autographs for everyone who had waited before getting into the idling taxi and heading to a restaurant a few blocks away for a late night dinner.

Her two closest friends were waiting when she arrived at the unpretentious little bistro. They liked to get together at least once every few weeks, but this evening was something of a goodbye party as Sarah was leaving New York for a few weeks. Her little brother Toby was no longer so little- he was graduating from MIT- albeit two years earlier than most of his fellow students. Toby had grown up to be exceptionally intelligent and he and Sarah had remained close despite the 15 year difference in their ages. She was attending his graduation in Cambridge this weekend before returning to their childhood home for two weeks. It was the longest break from work she'd taken in over four years.

"Won't it be strange being away from Mark for such a long time?" her friend Candice asked. "After all, you've been dating for almost a year now, right?"

Sarah nodded. "About ten months. This will be the longest we've been apart, but it will give me some time to consider what I want."

"You mean if you want to move in with him?" her other friend Amanda queried.

"I still can't believe you've never lived with a man before," Candice interjected before Sarah could respond. "It's not like you haven't dated enough."

"Wow," Sarah said with a wry smile. "I think I should feel insulted right now. I haven't dated _that_ much. And moving in with someone is a huge step. The next thing you know you're engaged, and then married, and then you're living in the suburbs with two kids and-"

"Whoa," Amanda cut her off. "That's a bit of a leap. Has Mark mentioned marriage?"

"Only hinted at it. Mark is great, but I'm just not sure I'm ready for all that. Something is still… not quite right. I don't know what it is, but I promised him I'd have an answer about getting a place together when I get back from my parent's house."

"He is great," Amanda replied. "But so was Josh, and so was Eric. In a city where is seems like there are no actual nice guys left you've managed to find a whole string of them and yet you let them all go."

'You make it sound like I discard men like tissues. I've just been looking for the right guy." Sarah was beginning to feel slightly defensive. She hadn't planned to spend her last girl's night in New York defending her single status to the twice divorced Candice and the happily married Amanda. Sarah wasn't sure if she ever wanted to get married, but she hardly believed that meant she should forgo dating.

"You know there's no such thing as the perfect man, right?" Candice asked.

"I disagree. I don't believe there's anyone without flaws, but I do think there's someone who is perfect for everyone."

"You mean like soulmates?" Amanda asked. "That's really sweet and all, but I don't know if I agree. Don't get me wrong, I love Brent more than anything, but I don't believe he's the only man on the planet I could ever have married." She paused for a moment and Sarah could tell from the considering look she directed at her that Amanda was about to say something less than flattering. "Sometimes Sarah… sometimes I think you spend so much time in fantasy romances on stage that you don't realize what it's like to be in love in the real world. It's not quite as dramatic as Shakespeare."

Sarah kept her face neutral so that Amanda wouldn't see how much the words had stung. It was not something she would have admitted, even to herself, but she'd had similar thoughts. It was as though her unconscious mind compared every man she dated to some ideal she couldn't quite describe. It also wasn't something she enjoyed having pointed out to her. But instead of letting her friends see how much this thought disturbed her she gave them a slightly snarky smile and said, "You know I haven't done Shakespeare in ages."

They took the hint and moved on to lighter topics. It was after 1 a.m. when they finally headed their separate ways. Sarah was by nature and by profession a night person so rather than head back to her place she made her way to Mark's apartment. She had a key and he was used to her strange hours. They had planned to meet in the morning before she left for Massachusetts, but she knew he wouldn't object to her arriving several hours ahead of schedule. For the rest of their time together before her departure he didn't so much as mention the idea of living together. In his company Sarah was able to relax completely and, if she wasn't blissfully happy, at least the vague feelings of discontent she had experienced earlier were temporarily gone.


	2. Graduation

Chapter 2 Graduation

The graduation ceremony was long and Sarah's mind wandered during the slow parts, but she was on her feet cheering the instant Toby's name was called. He didn't get an unusually big reaction. Being a few years younger than most of the graduating class had resulted in Toby being somewhat shy; therefore he didn't have a huge cheering section like some of the other students. However, as Sarah sat down again she noticed a rather loud and persistent clapping coming from the back of the room. She turned to glance in that direction but with so many people in attendance she could not get a clear view of anyone in particular. As her eyes skimmed the crowd her attention was momentarily caught by a blonde man in a grey suit who appeared to be in his late thirties. Before she could get a good look at him he shifted in his seat and her view was blocked. Although she had only caught the briefest glimpse of him something about him seemed so deeply familiar that she found herself glancing back two or three times during the remainder of the presentation. Sarah didn't see him again while they were seated and when the ceremony was done and everyone got up to leave she was too distracted looking for her brother to see where the man had gone.

Toby hurried towards Sarah and their parents clutching his Computer Science and Engineering degree. After hugging his mother and father he turned to Sarah with the smile she would always regard as her very own big sister smile. Although she had moved away from home when he was only 4 years old, Sarah had made a point of always keeping in contact with Toby. Regular visits, phone calls, and more recently Skype and a mutual love of text messaging had made it possible for them to remain close. Her father and stepmother could be no more proud than she was of her brilliant sibling.

They left the campus to have dinner in town and celebrate as a family. When they returned home on Sunday they were planning a graduation party for the extended family and friends, but for that evening it was just the four of them. It had been quite some time since they had been together and Sarah loved every minute of it. As Toby told them about his favorite classes and his modest little adventures it occurred to her that the man she had seen was perhaps a teacher who had taken a liking to him, but when she asked he couldn't think of anyone fitting that description. Sarah began to believe she had imagined seeing him, or that he had been there but his exuberant clapping had really been for another graduate. Either way, it was unlikely she would ever see him again so she decided to put him out of her mind. While she was successful at doing so during dinner, the stranger reappeared in her thoughts as she got ready for bed that night in her hotel room, and remained in the back of her mind until she fell asleep. The sense of familiarity was like a tickle in her throat or an itch that was not really troublesome, but strong enough to be constantly noticeable. By the next morning, however, she had forgotten the incident entirely.

Sarah's father and his wife still lived in the house where Toby had been born, and it was about a four hour drive from MIT to the small town of Greenville where she and her brother had grown up. Since he didn't have his own car Toby kept her company on the drive and they passed the time very pleasantly by chatting about general subjects and some things he would prefer not to discuss with his parents. He told Sarah about his first serious love affair and how he intended to maintain the relationship despite the fact that his girlfriend would still be in school at MIT for another two years.

"It's not like it's that far away," he reasoned. "You and I managed to stay close all this time and we've spent most of our lives living hours away from each other."

"Very true," she agreed and grinned at him. "And you have a lot more incentive to keep in touch with this girl than you do with just a big sister."

Toby was blushing slightly, much to Sarah's delight, but he was also smiling. "Never say so. You're my sister but you're also one of my best friends. And when you really love someone time and distance are not the obstacles people make them out to be."

Sarah was charmed by the conviction in her brother's voice, but also a little perturbed to find herself having yet another conversation this week about love and relationships. At the ripe old age of twenty, Toby was confident he could maintain his romantic relationship across hundreds of miles, but Sarah was not sure her relationship could survive combining households. Maybe her friends were right to think there was something off about her when it came to relationships. She figured it was only fair for her share as well so she told him about her reluctance to move in with Mark, despite the fact that their relationship was pretty great. Unlike her girlfriends though, he didn't find her behavior odd.

"I'm sure he's a good guy, but if it's not right you can't force it. When you really love someone you'll just know."

"Wise words, little brother." She teased him. "When did you get so smart?"

"Hellooo," he replied with a hint of friendly snark. "I just graduated from MIT, remember?"

Sarah laughed out loud. "With honors, if I am not mistaken. I just didn't realize they had a degree in love and marriage." Just like that her mood lifted and they spent the rest of the drive talking about inconsequential things. Being around her brother was energizing, and by the time they arrived at the family home Sarah was happier than she had been in a very long time.


	3. A Gift

Her stepmother really pulled out all the stops for Toby's graduation party. Although it was described on the invitation as an afternoon barbeque, the 45 guests were treated to white linens, cut crystal and neatly uniformed waiters with passed hors d'oeuvres served both inside and outdoors. The caterers had their work cut out for them to keep things running smoothly as the family's backyard was large, but not quite as big as Mrs. Malcolm's vision of what her only son's graduation party should look like.

Sarah watched from an upstairs window as the wait staff deftly maneuvered around the closely spaced tables, grilling station and scattered groups of guests. It has been a long time since she'd seen most of people in attendance that day, and Sarah was concerned that her presence was distracting them somewhat from Toby's triumph. Although she couldn't really be termed a famous actress, she was well known and admired in New York theater, making her a pretty huge celebrity by Greenville standards. She had disappeared temporarily to give everyone a chance to refocus on her little brother.

Sarah's eyes were momentarily drawn away from the crowd towards a figure standing in the neighbor's yard. It was definitely not their elderly neighbor Miss Simms, but rather a tall and lithe man who seemed vaguely familiar. The angle of the sun prevented her from seeing his face but she could tell he was blond. However, the sun might have been playing tricks on her because she could swear she saw faint pink, blue and purple highlights gleaming in his carefully tamed hair. He seemed to be looking in the direction of her window and when she realized it was the same man she saw at Toby's graduation ceremony she immediately turned away and hurried to the door. As she stepped through the backdoor she saw he was already gone. She was positive he wouldn't be in the crowd of other guests so she quickly circled through the side yard to see if she could catch him getting into a car. No cars moved in either direction on the street, nor could she see anyone in any of the parked vehicles lining both sides of the road. Sarah waited on the sidewalk for a moment as if expecting him to magically appear before her, but she remained alone until her father called her back to the party.

That night she was reading in the den when Toby came in with a package. She assumed it was another graduation gift but instead of opening it he placed it on her lap. Their parents had already retired for the evening so they were alone. She glanced at the package before giving Toby a questioning look.

"It's something I made for you in my free time last semester."

"I thought you were the one who was supposed to be getting the presents today," she replied as she carefully peeled off the tape and extracted the paper in one neat piece. She ruined the effect by immediately wadding it into a ball and chucking at Toby's head. He dodged easily and didn't rise to the bait. Instead he waited patiently while she opened the box and extracted what appeared to be a stuffed animal, but weighted significantly more than she expected. Or rather, it was two animals: a small stuffed fox sitting in a saddle on the back of a sheepdog. Toby took it from her and set it on the coffee table before she had a chance to finish examining it. He pushed a button somewhere on the dog's back and it began to move. After taking three steps it barked once and sat down.

"Toby, it's adorable!" she cried. "Whatever made you think of such a thing?"

"You don't remember?" He looked disappointed. "When I was really little you used to tell me stories about a noble knight and his steed, but the knight was…"

"A fox," they said together.

"I do remember that!" she exclaimed. That's amazing that you do though. You couldn't have been more than three years old then."

"The details are sometimes hazy, but I remember you told the best stories ever. Mom and dad had nothing on you when it came to bed time."

Sarah stared at the fox thoughtfully. "Sir Didymus," she said with a nod. "I remember him too, although I can't remember where he came from. I read a lot of fantasy books back then." She looked up at her brother. "Thank you Toby, I love it!"

He just nodded in response. "You made quite an impression on me then. Even after you left to go to college I remember… I guess I imagined it, but I remember seeing Sir Didymus and all kinds of other creatures. They'd visit me at night when I was supposed to be in bed, but then they disappeared the minute mom or dad checked on me. It was quite magical."

"You know, I feel like something similar happened to me too. I remember goblins and monsters, but they were more cute than scary."

"Exactly!" Toby agreed. "Man, they were so funny. I guess it was all my imagination, but I had so much fun with them."

"I do sort of remember them, but for the life of me I can't recall what book they were from. I'm going to have to go through those old boxes of mine and see if I can find it. I'd love to read it again."

Still smiling at their shared memories of childhood, they let the subject drop, but it remained in the back of Sarah's mind. When she went to her room that night she looked carefully around. Many of her childhood possessions were put away, but the room was still distinctly youthful. She ran her hand across the smooth head of a gnome statue that she'd had since forever. On her bed there remained only a few of the stuffed animals she had cherished so much as a kid- a goofy looking horned monster and a teddy bear named Lancelot that she had given to Toby as a baby. By the time he had outgrown it and the bear made its way back into her keeping it was so worn and dirty that the threadbare clothes were practically the same color as the patchy fur. Even so, Sarah had refused to let her stepmother throw it away. On the other hand, when she curled up that night to go to sleep she was not exactly inclined to cuddle with the dirty bear either, so she reached for the monster and tucked in under her arm like a child would as she fell asleep.


	4. Dreaming

Chapter 4 Dreaming

Sarah saw the man mingling with the guests of the graduation party. Apparently he hadn't left while she came down the stairs, but was standing in the far corner of the yard next to her father and brother. She could only see him in profile, but his face was so familiar that she was struck by a sense of déjà vu so strong that it momentarily disoriented her. She paused in her progress towards him and blinked a few times as though to block the sun from shining in her eyes. When she resumed walking Sarah was startled to see that he was no longer standing when he had been. Confused, she turned in a circle and spotted him next in the opposite corner of the yard. He appeared to be deep in conversation with the daughter of one of her parent's friends.

Feeling a little foolish Sarah retraced her steps, being careful to keep an eye on the man, but doing her best not to appear as stalker-ish as she felt. A group of waiters in their starched uniforms appeared in her path, slowing her down and blocking her view for a moment. Suddenly the crowd seemed to swell with additional guests, all of them with their backs turned to her. Someone bumped into her shoulder. She didn't see who, but they struck her hard enough to spin her around and almost knock her down. Sarah regained her footing and looked down to see that her sky blue sundress had been replaced by an elaborate white ball gown with puffed sleeves and a full bell skirt. It was a fantastical creation which had no place at a modern-day party; and yet it felt perfectly natural and right that she should be wearing such a thing.

When she looked around her she realized that the setting had morphed into a lavish ball with twirling dancers in renaissance style dresses and oddly sinister masks. Sarah's own face remained uncovered and she felt exposed in a way she hadn't experienced since her earliest days on the stage. The people closest to her stared with curiosity and perhaps a hint of snobbery, but otherwise most of the guests were busy dancing or drinking. Nobody in her direct line of sight was familiar to her anymore, but she was not as frightened by this as she ought to have been. She caught a glimpse of the man she had been looking for and started to make her way towards him again. He looked different now. Like the others at the party, he wore an elaborate and decorative costume in midnight blue with a high color and more sequins than any man had a right to wear without looking ridiculous. He definitely did not look ridiculous.

In an instant they were no longer standing across from each other in the ballroom. Instead, Sarah found herself in his arms as they circled the dance floor with the other couples. As she finally finally got her first good look at her partner Sarah found herself quite breathless. She stumbled ever so slightly but he had a firm hold on her and guided her through the steps of the dance. He did not speak, and Sarah was too busy taking in all the details of his appearance to say anything herself. His hair was longer now, untamed, cut to varying lengths and containing multiple highlights. His features were more unusual than classically handsome. He had an aquiline nose and high, accented brows framing the most extraordinarily eyes Sarah had ever seen. One was a clear deep blue, while the other was darker. As she continued to stare she realized they were not two different colors exactly; rather it was simply that the pupil in his left eye was fully dilated.

As she stared at him she was again overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu; she felt as though time has stopped and they were trapped in the moment together. He just stared back at her while they made endless circles around the dance floor. Sarah was only partially aware of the other dancers and of a clock that was chiming in the background. At last Sarah couldn't resist any longer and she moved her hand from his shoulder to hesitantly touch his face. The moment her fingers touched his skin his eyes lit up with something like triumph and his lips quirked up slightly at the corners. Sarah ran her hand up his cheekbone, around his ear and into his hair. At this touch his smile faded and his eyes darkened. He bent towards her slightly and \Sarah knew he was going to kiss her. They had stopped moving when she first reached out to him and now she stepped closer; her heart pounding in expectation. Just before his lips reached hers she whispered, "Jareth."

Sarah sat up in bed with a start. She was completely disoriented and it took her a moment to recognize the sun was shining through the curtains of her old bedroom. She was at home. The noise which had pulled her from her dreams at the most inopportune moment was the ringing of her cellphone. When she swiped the screen to unlock it she noticed that it was barely seven a.m. She tried to keep the irritation out of her voice as she connected the call.

"Hello, Mark," she said, attempting to use a light and teasing tone, despite her grogginess and annoyance. "I cannot believe you are calling me this early."


	5. Remembering

Chapter 5 Remembering

Sarah spent ten minutes in rather awkward conversation with Mark before he had to hang up. Her mind was slowly coming awake while her very alert body was calming down from her dream experiences. Despite her assurances to him over the phone, Sarah had not really been giving Mark or his hopes of in moving in together, a lot of thought. She felt guilty for pretending interest in his chattering but as she settled back under the covers she pushed those feelings aside and focused her concentration on recalling the exact colors of Jareth's eyes. Unlike most dreams the image was not fading from her mind the longer she was awake. Instead, that single spoken word seemed to have triggered something and was causing her memories to expand instead of retract.

Sarah looked over at the vanity where she had placed the robotic dog and rider that Toby had given her the night before. 'That was Sir Didymus and Ambrosius,' she recalled. She could feel that the stuffed monster which she had fallen asleep with was now somewhere down by her feet. That was Ludo. She sat up in bed and looked over at the gnome statue.

"Hoggle," she said with perfect clarity. "How could I have forgotten your name?" Sarah was quickly remembering bits and pieces of the adventures she'd imagined as a teenager. These toys had been her friends throughout childhood, and as a young woman she'd had a difficult time giving up playing with them. She realized now that these characters were not from a book she had read- no book could contain all these disparate childhood relics- but must have come alive in her own imagination. As Toby had pointed out, she always had been a storyteller. She remembered having innocent but wild parties in her bedroom with these and other creatures in attendance. The memories were so vivid that she was almost disappointed to realize that they hadn't really happened. Sarah searched her mind but could not picture Jareth hanging out in her room with the little gnomes and goblins that she had invented. The dream scene in the ballroom was more vivid and real to her than anything else she could remember, which was confusing, but after a few minutes of trying to put it into context she gave up and got out of bed.

Sarah had gone to bed quite late, as was her habit, and while she would have liked to go back to sleep, now that she was awake she was hungry and decided to search out some coffee and her little brother. He was already in the kitchen munching on Cocoa Puffs and raised his eyebrows in surprise when she appeared. Sarah could hear her father and stepmother in the dining room talking quietly while they drank coffee. Apparently Sarah was the only one in her family who was not naturally an early riser. After pouring some coffee and throwing a bagel in the toaster she sat across from Toby and took a healthy gulp of the hot beverage. Between bites of their respective breakfasts they chatted about their plans for the day. After a while Sarah told Toby about some of the things she had remembered this morning and he nodded in agreement when she listed the names of Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and Ambrosius. The name Jareth, however, did not ring any bells. Sarah described him in what she thought was a casual manner, but by the time she was done Toby was smirking a little.

"He doesn't sound familiar to me," he said. "But if they were all just some fantasy you made up then it sounds like he's the kind of fantasy teenage girls don't share with little brothers." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Sarah threw the last bite of her bagel at him but she was laughing at the same time.

"It all just seems so incredibly realistic when I think back. There was something else, too… a giant maze of some sort? Do you remember me telling you about that?" Toby shook his head to indicate he did not. Afraid of appearing obsessive, Sarah shrugged and changed the subject. Being in her old house, sleeping in her old room, was awaking her memories and her imagination in an unusual way. That was all it was and Sarah decided it was better to just enjoy it than to analyze it to death. She spent the next few days going through her old things, watching TV, and generally just relaxing around the house. It had been a long time since she'd just stayed in and caught up on the books and movies she enjoyed. If she was looking for anything in particular when she went through the boxes of her old books she did not admit it to anyone-including herself- nor did she find anything out of the ordinary.

On her third day home she borrowed a book from her father, _Essential Ornithology_, and walked to the park she used to frequent in her youth. It was about half a mile away from her home and contained a small copse of trees as well as a stream and a picturesque stone bridge. She found a bench near the trees and sat down with the book. Sarah didn't really expect to see any birds besides robins and perhaps some pigeons, but she enjoyed looking at the pictures. An image of a snowy owl in flight caught her attention. It was so beautiful, and the photograph was such a high resolution that Sarah thought it looked like it was about to fly off the page and into the real world. Considering how active her imagination had always been she would not have been surprised if it had done so, but the bird stayed put and eventually Sarah made her way home for dinner.

They had a pleasant meal together before Toby left to go to a movie with some friends. Sarah remained with her dad and step mother for a while, but as soon as she politely could she excused herself by saying she was going to read in her room for a while before bed. She and her stepmother got along fairly well, but three days under the same roof with her was still a bit much. They simply had very different interests and personalities. To avoid making herself into a liar Sarah did read for a while when she got to her room. She also called Candice and caught up on events in the Big Apple and then checked in briefly with her manager.

It was late by the time she heard Toby return home- at least by Greenville standards. Back in New York she would just be finishing the evening's performance and getting ready to go out for dinner. The quiet of small town life was foreign to her after living so many years in the city. It was evident everyone had retired for the night when Sarah eventually dozed off still dressed and resting on top of her comforter. She was asleep for no more than a few minutes when she heard someone calling her name. She sat up and looked about in confusion. She'd drifted off with only the small bedside lamp on so much of the room was dark. However, there was more than enough light to see the very tall and extremely large creature standing a few feet from the end of her bed.

"Ludo?"


	6. Nightmares

Chapter 6 Nightmares

Sarah's fuzzy mind quickly came to the conclusion that she has been asleep longer than she thought and was now dreaming. If that was the case, she decided there was little point in being afraid, so she got up from the bed to get a better look at her visitor. He was at least eight feet tall with menacing horns and shaggy fur, but his kind eyes made it impossible to feel threatened by his imposing appearance.

In his grumbly but gentle voice Ludo says her name. As if this is the cue her unconscious mind has been waiting for Sarah smiles and hastily, unthinkingly, steps forward to embrace her old friend. Unfortuantely, her failure to pay attention to the dimly lit surroundings caused her to misjudge her steps and her big toe smashed into the edge of the bedpost. Sharp pain shot through her foot. Sarah cursed and hopped up and down on her good foot for a moment. As the pain receded is quickly dawned on Sarah that she had never experienced physical pain during a dream before. By the time this fact has registered Ludo had made his way to her side.

"Sarah," he said with concern in his voice. "Sarah is hurt?" He extended his hand to steady her and she used it to pull herself towards him for a hug.

"I'm all right Ludo," she replies. "I'm so happy to see you!" Sarah's arms circle only half way around his huge body but she hugs him tightly before stepping back to stare up into his eyes. This was no dream. He was too real, too solid; and her big toe was still throbbing. "What are you doing here?"

"Sarah, need help."  
"I don't need any help Ludo. I'm fine. My foot is fine."

"No. Sarah, help. Goblins bad. Sarah help." She stared at him with questioning eyes for a moment but he does not elaborate further. It appears that he wants to explain, but is having trouble forming the words to tell her what he means.

Suddenly a line of light appeared under the closed door to Sarah's room, signifying that someone was in the hallway outside. Sarah quickly moved to the door to make sure it was closed all the way and was startled when someone knocked on it just as she reached for the handle. Her father said her name quietly, but it was enough to make Sarah's heart begin to pound at top speed. How the hell was she going to hide Ludo? She turned around in a panic but he was gone.

Sarah's father opened the door slightly and said her name as he peered in. Bewildered, Sarah was still glancing around the room expecting to see Ludo standing in a corner or attempting to climb out the window but there was no motion anywhere. She turned back to face her father who was obviously not looking for a monster in her bedroom. Instead, he was looking at her bright eyes and panicked expression with concern.

"Sarah," he said softly. "Are you all right? I could hear you talking. Were you sleepwalking?"

Sarah knows immediately that the worst thing she could do right now is tell her father that she was wide awake and had been talking to a living, breathing, life-sized version of the stuffed monster currently resting beside her pillow. She forced a calm expression onto her face and lied to her father. "I guess I must have been."

"I was afraid so. I'll get you one of your mother's sleeping pills." He turns but stops when she calls out.

"No!" Sarah didn't intend to sound quite so vehement in her refusal so she attempted to tone it down when she continued. "I'm fine. I'm not a fan of sleeping pills."

"I know. But they do help. Remember when you were a teenager and you used to have all those terrible nightmares? You'd never have gotten a good night's sleep if your mother hadn't insisted upon you taking them."

"I don't remember having nightmares, but I do remember really hating taking those pills." Sarah concealed her resentment at the memory, and at her father's insistence on referring to his wife as Sarah's "mother." It was probably beneath her to still emphasize the "step" aspect of the relationship at her age, but Sarah didn't care at that point.

"Well something was keeping you from getting a good night's sleep. I remember hearing you banging around and talking to yourself. Then you were always so tired at school and your grades started dropping. Those pills were the only thing that helped. Are you sure you don't want one?"

"Quite sure," she said firmly as she turned and got into bed. She was still fully dressed, but her father didn't seem to notice. "Those things made me feel like a zombie every night. I don't think they were all that helpful. I've never once needed one in New York. It must just be sleeping in my old room that has stirred up old memories." That was the understatement of the year, but Sarah wasn't just an actress on stage. She smiled at her father. "I'll go back to sleep and I'm sure I'll be fine by morning."

Her father nodded and wished her good night before yawning and closing the door. In a minute the hall light went out and she heard him go back into his bedroom. Sarah waited another minute or two before getting back up and putting a pillow at the bottom of the door to block any light from escaping. Then she flipped the switch and carefully surveyed the room looking for signs of Ludo's presence or his inexplicable entrance and exit. There was nothing- not a single indication that anyone besides Sarah had been in the room. She stood there for a few minutes, expecting him to return, but he did not. Eventually Sarah got into her pajamas and turned the light out before getting into bed again.

Had it been a dream? The longer Sarah thought about it the more confused and foolish she felt. Her senses and emotions told her that it had really happened and that Ludo was real. Her rational mind disagreed. It was hours before exhaustion finally overwhelmed her and she fell asleep without being able to make up her mind which to believe. Her last coherent thought was that perhaps this anxiety inducing confusion was in fact the nightmare her father had mentioned.


	7. It's All Real

Note to readers- I'm not especially happy with this chapter. It's a lot of dialogue and that's not one of the things I write well, but I felt I had to get something written and out there or I'd be stuck indefinitely. I'll probably revise it someday but for now I am just looking forward to moving on in the story.

Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, or liked my story. I know it is not exactly fast paced so far. I am intending for it to be novella or novel length, not a short story. I hope you enjoy it.

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Two days later Sarah's suspicion that she was neither insane nor hallucinating was finally confirmed. Her parents had gone out for the afternoon with Toby so she had the house to herself. Sarah spent a few hours working in the garden then showered and dressed. When she got back to her bedroom she was only slightly surprised to find that she was not alone.

"Hoggle," she said in as calm a voice as she could manage. "You're really here." It was a statement and not a question, but he nodded in response. They both stared at each other for a minute or two before Sarah decided to move. She got down on her knees and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry," was all she managed to get out before she was too choked up to speak.

Hoggle patted her shoulder a bit awkwardly. He was not as skittish about physical contact as he had once been, but it was clear he was as uncomfortable as most males were around "emotional" females. He didn't speak for a few moments while she collected herself. Sarah was excellent at controlling and projecting her emotions so she got herself together relatively quickly and backed up to look him over. Hoggle seemed well. His face had always been slightly wrinkled and strange looking so Sarah was not able to see any indications of aging, but she could see evidence of prosperity. His clothing was clean and freshly pressed and his boots had a high glossy shine. Hoggle still carried a pouch attached to his belt and Sarah could see it bulging with treasures. He also had a matching small bulge to his stomach which indicated he'd been enjoying some very good meals. Overall, he looked very well, but his expression was serious.

Sarah sat down on her bed so she was closer to his height and began to apologize again. For once words failed her and she was not able to fully articulate her guilt at forgetting her magical childhood friend. It seemed the deepest form of betrayal to have convinced herself that he wasn't real and to have moved on with her life as if she had never met him or the other fantastic creatures of the labyrinth. She tried to explain that as she got older her parent's influenced her more; that the sleeping pills they made her take had made her memories of the time period foggy; and that as she got older her memories of them seemed so far-fetched that she had pushed then out of her mind completely.

Hoggle let her talk herself out and then patted her hand clumsily. "There, there," he said. "It's all right, I understand. You had to grow up Sarah. It's only natural that you had to move on. We all understood." He was still patting her hand and half smiling while he spoke, but as soon as the words were out he became self-conscious and took a step back.

"I'm happy to see you, but what's going on? Ludo was here a few days ago too. What's happened that you both have come to see me after all this time?"

"It's Jareth," Hoggle's expression became even more serious.

"What's he done now?" Although she said it calmly enough, Sarah's pulse rate increased just hearing his name. If Hoggle and Ludo were real then Jareth was as well. Her mind immediately began to analyze the physical and emotional reactions she experienced as she reviewed her memories of him. Her response was so strong that she missed the first part of what Hoggle was saying and had to ask him to repeat himself.

"I said he hasn't done anything. That's the problem. After you defeated him he disappeared. There has been no one to keep order in the Goblin City and the surrounding countryside. It's in chaos. You need to end his banishment."

"But that was 20 years ago and I certainly didn't banish him. All I did was get my brother back. I never made him leave."

"But you did beat him," Hoggle pointed out. "When someone defeats the existing ruler of the labyrinth then they become the new king or queen. His banishment was automatic."

"I had no idea. I didn't intend for that to happen." Sarah stood up and began to pace back and forth in her room. "It's not like I wanted to be the queen. I just needed to get Toby."

'I know," he said with a nod. "I don't blame you. Jareth is not exactly forthcoming with details. I don't imagine he was interested in telling you about your kingdom after you vanquished him."

"I'd hardly call it that." Sarah stopped her pacing and looked at Hoggle with a worried expression on her face. "So what do you expect me to do? I can't be queen of the Goblin City!"

"You need to find Jareth and make him return to the castle then."

"But you said he disappeared. Do you know where he is?"

"Not exactly. He's been spotted from time to time wandering in the labyrinth, but every time someone sees him they forget where exactly it happened. I even saw there him once myself. He apologized to me for how he acted when we were in the labyrinth."

Sarah was surprised to hear that. Her memory of Jareth did not include humility or an apologetic nature. "Wait, so if you saw him do you know how to find him again?"

Hoggle shook his head. "No. I remember talking to him, but once he was done he made my mind foggy. It didn't clear until I was almost at the exit to the labyrinth. I've searched and searched but never found anything to indicate where he could be. There are a million places to hide in the labyrinth."

"So how am I supposed to find him? I barely managed to make my way through the labyrinth the first time. There's no way I could do it."

"Please Sarah, you've got to try! I think you're the only person who can find him. You have to help us. Things are terrible. We need a ruler."

"Even if it's Jareth?"

"Any king is better than no king," Hoggle said firmly. "Please?"

Sarah dropped to her knees in front of him for the second time. "Hoggle, you know I'd do anything to help. You don't have to beg. I owe it to you all. I just don't know if I can help. I mean, how will I even get to the labyrinth?" She looked around her room with a puzzled expression. "How did you even get here?"

"Oh I can take care of that," he replied with an almost excited expression on his face. "Do you mean it? Will you really come?" As he spoke the question Hoggle reached into his pocket and took out a pinch of some kind of sparkly dust. Sarah glanced at it curiously but didn't ask as she nodded.

"Yes," she affirmed. I'll go. But when should we…" before she could finish her sentence Hoggle held the dust up to his face and blew it into the air. It shimmered for a moment and Sarah felt dizy and confused. She closed her eyes for a moment to stop the sensation of spinning and shen she opened them again Hoggle was smiling widely and looking somewhere over her shoulder. Sarah turned to see what was behind her and found herself looking into the eyes of another gnome. This one had blonde hair in two braids and wide blue eyes that stared back with innocent wonder. A quick glance showed another, older female gnome holding the hand of an adolescent boy that bore a striking resemblance to Hoggle. Behind the three of them Sarah saw the gates at the entrance to the labyrinth.


	8. Meet the Family

Chapter 8 Meet the Family

The little girl in front of Sarah smiled widely, showing a gap where her left front tooth should be. Combined with her braids and bulbous nose, the effect was so disarming that Sarah couldn't help but smile in return. She was both ugly and adorable at the same time. Sarah had gotten up into a half crouch when she turned and was now towering over the small child. Hoggle came over and picked the girl up for a big hug before beginning introductions.

"Sarah, this is my wife Figwart," he said gesturing to the woman behind him. He then pointed to the boy. "This is my son, Hoggle Jr, and this _angel_' he bounced the girl in his arms and she giggled at her father's description of her, "is Ludimus." He set the young girl down and walked back towards his wife. He carefully lifted her floor length skirt a few inches off the ground to reveal a toddler who burst into excited laughter when her hiding place was exposed. The baby crawled out and made a beeline towards Sarah. With no sign if shyness she raised her arms in the universal sign that she wanted to be picked up and cuddled. Sarah obliged.

"That's our youngest," Figwart said. "Her name is Sarah."

Looking down into the child's tony face Sarah felt tears spring to her eyes. She looked to Hoggle for silent confirmation and he smiled and nodded. She was too touched to speak for a moment so she simply looked at the little girl in her arms. The baby played with Sarah's hair for a moment, touched her face with exploring fingers, and then gave a wiggle to indicate she was ready to get down. She then toddled her way over to a birdcage on the ground near Figwart's feet and began to rattle the bars. Figwart shoed her away and held the cage up out of the child's reach. Sarah peered into the cage and was startled to see it was filled with fairies. She recalled the nasty bite she'd gotten on her first encounter with the little creatures and Hoggle's determination to exterminate them. Therefore, she was quite surprised when Figwart began cooing at the fairies adoringly. Hoggle saw her look of surprise and grinned sheepishly.

"Do you remember what you said about fairies the first time we met?"

"I remember being surprised by how mean they were," she replied.

"You told me how they were supposedly able to grant wishes. Well, as it turns out you were right." He pulled the bag of dust out of his pocket and showed it to her. "When they are happy fairies give off dust which can be used to make wishes come true. When I realized what a useful thing that could be I started a fairy farm. That's actually how I met Figwart. She helped me get my business started."

"And now I keep it running, along with his home, his children, and just about anything else you can think of." The harshness of her words was negated by the sweetness of her tone and the adoring smile she bestowed upon her husband.

"It's quite the lucrative business," Hoggle replied. "Keeps her in riches anyway," he said gesturing to his wife. Sarah looked carefully and was amused to see Figwart was indeed decked out in multiple plastic bracelets, a necklace, and plastic beads woven through her hair. Figwart preened as though she was being inspected for a beauty contest.

"Lovely," Sarah said with a smile. "I am so happy for you Hoggle. You're a lucky man to have such a beautiful family."

"We've been very fortunate,"Figwart confirmed. "Most are not as lucky as we are." Her expression darkened and she turned to look at the labyrinth behind her. Sarah shifted her gaze as well and for the first time began to notice the signs of decay and neglect around her. The walls to the labyrinth were crumbling in spots and the gigantic doors were hanging open. One rusty door was almost completely off its hinges and hung down forlornly. Weeds grew through the cracks in the stones. Bits of trash littered the ground around them but it was not so terribly run down that Sarah was shocked.

Noticing her expression Hoggle said, "Its worse when you get farther in. For the most part things are still okay outside the walls."

"I suppose I should go in then," Sarah said in an uncertain voice.

"I'll be with you," Hoggle affirmed. "Figy dear, take the children home. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone so you might want to invite your sister to stay with you." He hugged each child tightly for a moment before turning to his wife. She had tears forming in her eyes but was smiling bravely. Sarah turned away slightly and pretended not to see as Hoggle gave her a passionate kiss. His affection was so opposite of what Sarah remembered about him that she couldn't suppress a small mirthful smile. She was relieved to know he would accompany her, and felt there was quite a bit more to learn about her old friend.

Sarah said her goodbyes as well and was once again moved almost to tears when the baby came up to hug her legs before they departed. Sarah and Hoggle watched them go for a moment, the children had picked up small nets and were now chasing stray fairies about. When they actually managed to catch one they brought it to their mother who carefully put it into the cage which she carried along, careful not to jostle the tiny creatures too much. With a resigned sigh Hoggle turned his back so he was once again facing the entrance to the labyrinth.

Sarah followed suit and asked "Where do you think we should start?"

"Truthfully, I have no idea. It has been a very long time since I saw Jareth, and he's seldom seen in the same spot twice. We might just have to wander a bit until we find some clues."

"Hoggle," Sarah said with a tone of inquiry. "If you have fairy dust that grants wishes why don't you just wish for Jareth to come back, or wish to know where he is?"

Hoggle chuckled. "That would be pointless. Jareth does not want to be found so he isn't. All the fairy dust in the world isn't strong enough to overcome his magic."

Sarah didn't think this boded well for their chances, but she kept it to herself. At heart she was still an optimist so she strode forward with confidence until she entered the first corridor. Despite the crumbling stones and overgrown weeds and vines, she was overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu as she looked at what appeared to be an endless path going straight in each direction. She turned to her right then smiled down at Hoggle.

"Here we go," she said and began walking.


	9. Jareth

Jareth felt Sarah's presence the moment she stepped into the realm. He was standing outside near his fish pond. Several large koi swam lazily though the clear water or hid within the aquatic plants at the bottom. Unlike most ponds however, this one was not in the ground. Instead, it floated freely about two feet above the lush grass in an undulating mass that stayed together through the combined powers of cohesion and magic.

As soon as he sensed her arrival he moved closer to the pond and, muttering a few words, pulled up an image of her. She was crouched down in front of Hoggle's family, with the youngest tottering towards her. Jareth was transfixed by the sight of her, despite the fact that he'd caught several glimpses of her in recent days. Without her party clothes and perfectly groomed hair and makeup she was even more beautiful.

Perhaps it was the fact that he had spent so much time observing her that caused this strong reaction. He'd always checked up on her and Toby, but he'd kept his distance both physically and emotionally. The fact that he'd let her see him not once, but twice in recent days was evidence that he was becoming too involved. Although scrying did not permit him to hear what said, when Sarah and Hoggle turned and walked into the labyrinth Jareth had a pretty good idea of what they were doing. He ended the vision of her and stood for a moment longer making eye contact with a chubby black koi fish. The question was not what Sarah was doing in the labyrinth, but what he was going to do about it.


	10. Being Led

Sarah and Hoggle walked straight for a while, dragging their hands along the walls so they wouldn't miss any hidden openings. After a few dozen yards they made their first turn, and the next thing they knew they were intentionally lost in the labyrinth. They chatted about life for a while, catching up on each other's accomplishments and families while they made their way along. Much of this section of the maze looked exactly the same, with tall stone walls showing no sign of the passage of time. Having no idea where Jareth might be they decided that strolling through casually, without trying to actively search, was just as likely to work as a more systematic approach. However, Sarah was well aware that this could very well prove to be a pointless exercise.

"Maybe he's in an oubliette," she said suddenly. "Did you say once that the labyrinth is full of them?"

"It is," he confirmed, "but I've been through every one that I know of and found nothing. Besides, I can hardly picture our former king hiding out in some dark little hole. He may be in exile, but if I know him he's in a comfortable exile."

"That does make sense."

After a few hours they emerged into a portion of the labyrinth made from hedges rather than stone pillars. It became a bit more difficult to walk as the imposing bushes were overgrown and unkempt. It gave the maze a more sinister appearance and for the first time Sarah began to wonder if she was too hasty in her decision to help search for Jareth. She was also quite hungry. When she mentioned this to Hoggle he reached into one of the many pouches in his belt and pulled out an apple. Sarah took it, but examined it for a moment without biting into it.

"That hurts," Hoggle said with a wounded air.

Sarah chuckled. "I wasn't thinking anything about you. I was just trying to determine if it was organic."

"What's organic?" he asked.

"It's fresher… cleaner, grown without pesticides. It's foolish of me to even wonder. I can't really picture any massive commercial farms producing GMO fruits here."

"I don't even know what you're talking about," Hoggle said before biting into an apple of his own. "I grew these in my back yard."

"That's how it should be." Sarah bit into her apple and found it to be sweet and crunchy. Despite the presence of magic and mystical creatures, the simplicity of this world appealed to her. She doubted anyone here worried about proper nutrition and exercise to maintain their youthful appearance.

After walking for some time in a straight line they came to a dead end and had to backtrack. Only a few yards behind them they suddenly encountered a wall of hedges where there hadn't been one before. A path opened off to their left instead.

"It changed!" Hoggle said with surprise.

"It does that," Sarah replied.

"Not normally," he countered. "I walk through the labyrinth all the time and it always stays the same."

"It changed all the time when I was here before."

"That's because Jareth wanted it to."

"Do you think that means he's watching us?" Sarah was both startled and excited by this idea.

"He must be. He must want us to go that way." Hoggle gestured towards the newly formed opening.

"Well, since that's the only way we _can_ go, I guess we'll have to do what he wants."

"Do you think he's going to force us out of the maze?"

"I hope not," Sarah said.

They kept walking, filled with new energy and purpose now that they felt sure Jareth was aware of their presence. The walls did not change again that they physically observed, but bit by bit it seemed evident that the path was winding its way closer and closer to the middle section of the labyrinth. Occasionally they came across areas that showed evidence of damage, but for the most part everything looked the same as Sarah remembered. The main difference was that the hedges were no longer as neat and trim as she recalled. Eventually they reached a point where they had to walk single file as the hedges closed in on both sides and above them, making a dense green ceiling which blocked the light. It was spooky, but eventually the walls petered out and they found themselves in a small clearing.

Sarah estimated that it was probably early evening back home, but here the sun was still hanging high in the sky. Around the perimeter of the clearing were several small bushes bearing nuts and some type of berries which they snacked on while they rested for a bit. Sarah lay on her back in the grass and looked up into a cloudless sky bluer than any she had ever seen before. The grass beneath her felt soft and warm, lulling her into a state of contentment. Once again she was stuck by how restful and beautiful it was here. As much as Sarah loved New York City and her life there, she couldn't help but bask in the natural setting and the sweet smell of fresh air untainted by the stink trash, exhaust and urine. Sarah couldn't help but smile as she took a deep breath. Although Hoggle claimed the situation had become difficult in Jareth's absence, Sarah really couldn't see it in these idyllic surroundings.

Just thinking his name caused Jareth's image to pop into her mind and Sarah was suddenly slightly disturbed, but not in a fearful or unpleasant way. She closed her eyes and his face came into even greater focus. The amount of detail she was able to conjure made her wonder how she could have forgotten about his existence for over half of her life. Who could possibly forget about those mesmerizing eyes?

Sarah suddenly realized what she was thinking and felt a stab of guilt. She hadn't thought about Mark once since she arrived but here she was mooning over the memory of a man she barely knew. She tried to bring Mark's face into her mind instead but she was not able to recall the color of his eyes. Disturbed by this lapse she sat up and looked over at Hoggle. He had dozed off and was snoring quite noisily, as befitted a person with a nose that large. Aside from his snuffling there were no sounds, not even the hum of insects.

Sarah got up and walked towards the spot where they had entered the clearing but she could no longer see any sign of the opening. She wasn't alarmed by this but instead took it to be a good sign. She let Hoggle continue his nap while she made a slow lap around the perimeter of the clearing. As she suspected, there was only one path open, on the opposite side from where they entered. Sarah collected as many berries as she could as she made her way back to where Hoggle was napping. She carefully shook him until he awoke and hid her smile while he grumbled and yawned.

"We should keep going," Sarah said gently. She got to her feet and turned towards the opening. "It appears we're meant to go this way."


	11. Battleground

Chapter 11 Battleground

Although Hoggle was extremely familiar with the labyrinth, even he was unsure of where they were heading now that it was evident that Jareth was controlling their path. It was surely getting close to nightfall, but the sky stayed clear and bright enough for them to easily see where they were going for quite a while. Sarah was optimistic that they were going to find Jareth, but also impatient as he was clearly aware of their presence and could have revealed himself to them instead of making them search for him. However, Sarah knew Jareth liked to play his games and nothing she could do would make him appear until he was ready.

After leaving the clearing they eventually found themselves in a section of the labyrinth fashioned with neatly cut limestone brick walls. Sarah recognized them as being close to the palace and quickened her step excitedly, but their appearance had the opposite effect on Hoggle. He began peeking down every possible turn in the hopes of finding a path leading away from the castle and the city surrounding it.

Once Sarah realized that he was lagging behind she stopped and waited for Hoggle to catch up. He appeared agitated and kept opening his mouth as though he intended to say something, but failed to find the correct words. Sarah waited patiently while they resumed walking, but after several more minutes it became clear that he was still not sure what to say so Sarah took matters into her own hands.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "It's just…"

"Yes?"

"Sarah, I feel as though I should tell you a bit more about things after Jareth left. I think… I think I know where we're headed."

Despite this assertion Hoggle was almost as surprised as Sarah when they rounded the next corner and came to an abrupt stop. In this corridor the walls were blackened by fire and pitted by both small and large craters. It was obviously the site of great violence, but it was just as obvious by the way the weeds were growing tall and clean that it had been a long time since that violence had ended. The sight disconcerted Sarah somewhat, but not nearly as much as it did Hoggle.

"I think we should go back and find a different route," he declared with a hint of panic.

"I don't think we can," she countered. "There's been hardly any turns along the way and lots of dead ends. It's pretty obvious that we've been guided here. Besides, this isn't so bad."

She continued forward for about twenty paces before the path made a sharp right turn. Hoggle, who had stayed put when she began walking, watched with concern when Sarah gasped and covered her face with her hands. They had reached a section of the labyrinth he was familiar with and he was not at all eager to see it again; but when Sarah lowered her hands and made a small strangled sound he felt compelled to go to her side.

The moment he stopped next to her he regretted this decision, for more than one reason. Firstly, without any sound and barely any sign of movement, the wall suddenly shifted behind them and blocked off the burnt hallway that they had just traversed. Instead, when they tried to turn back they were confronted by a smooth wall of white bricks on their right side. While this may have been more aesthetically pleasing than the damaged section, it was an unwelcome sight. Instead of being able to beat a hasty retreat, Sarah and Hoggle now had only one way to go. Hoggle's second regret was that he had not realized sooner which direction Jareth had been leading them for he knew exactly what this section of the labyrinth was like.

"I guess now would be a good time for me to tell you about the goblin wars," he said resignedly.

Sarah turned back to the path in front of them and felt her stomach turn over. She thought she might be sick. Despite the fact that they were not from humans, she was completely horrified to see that the walls and ground of the labyrinth were built entirely of bones cemented together in a grotesque imitation of stones.

"Goblin bones," she said. Although her comment was not really in response to Hoggle's statement, he nodded in confirmation.

The sky suddenly dimmed, as though dusk had fallen in the blink of an eye. "We'd better keep moving," Hoggle said. "We can talk as we walk."

But Sarah was in no mood to talk anymore. As soon as she took her first step her anxiety and revolt overwhelmed her. In the quiet of this new and sudden twilight she could very distinctly hear and feel the crunching of the hundreds of delicate and tiny bones under her feet.


	12. Bone Walk

Chapter 12 Bone Walk

The sound was so revolting that Sarah froze up and it took a moment before she could force herself to move forward again. Every step she took she felt brittle little bones grinding into powder beneath her feet. The sound was bad enough, but Sarah could also feel the crunching sensation traveling through her feet and up her legs. It felt as though each step vibrated through her whole body and made her heart beat in a fast and irregular beat. She knew she was close to having a panic attack.

Hoggle, being somewhat smaller and lighter than her, was able to walk carefully and crush fewer bones, but even he was turning a tad bit green. Neither of them spoke as they walked slowly down the path. Part of Sarah wanted to run, but if she did so she knew she would not be able to avoid stepping on the tiny skulls that stood out like cobblestones amidst the smaller, gravel-like assortment of bones. When she did accidentally step on one it collapsed with a puff of dust which was almost her undoing. But thankfully, the passageway was not overly long and within a few minutes- which seemed to Sarah like hours- they were on the other side and, a moment later, on the outskirts of the Goblin City.

As soon as they were clear of the awfulness Sarah fell to her knees and heaved for a minute or two, but was not sick. Hoggle waited while she collected herself enough to speak.

"Why would anyone do such a thing? Why didn't they bury the bodies?"

"Bury them where?"

"In a cemetery, of course."

"What's a cemetery?"

Sarah was surprised at the question. "It's where you bury people when they die. Don't you have cemeteries?"

Hoggle shook his head. "We've never had use for such a place."

"What do you do when people die then? Aside from build walls out of their bones."

"People don't really die here- at least not often and not naturally. The Goblin Wars were the first time in many, many years that we've had so many deaths."

Sarah was startled. "People don't die here? How is that possible?"

Hoggle shrugged. "That's just how it is… Does everybody die where you come from?" When Sarah confirmed that to be the case Hoggle looked even more alarmed than she had been. "But how do you live knowing that such a thing is inevitable? Aren't you terrified?"

Sarah's initial thought was to say 'no, dying is just a part of life,' but before she spoke she turned to look back over her shoulder at the thousands of bodies that had gone into making the corridor of death she had just walked through. Why had she been so afraid and horrified if she wasn't afraid of death? In a similar vein, why was she so focused on fighting the signs of aging if it wasn't because she didn't like to see the visible signs of the passage of time? She was not an exceptionally vain woman, but every new line around her eyes or change to her physique had been a cause for worry. Sarah told herself that her concern was natural because she was an actress and was always in the public eye. But thinking about her own body turning to dust and bones like the ones behind them caused another surge of anxiety to rush through her body and start her shivering again.

"I suppose we just try not to think about it," she replied at last. But of course, now death seemed to be all she could think about. "Let's keep moving. It's getting very dark."

Both were quiet as they continued to walk. The buildings along the outer edge of the city were mostly rubble, but as they made their way further in they found some intact houses and shops. The place seemed to be deserted, and after a while they began to feel dispirited. It appeared that Jareth was no longer trying to lead them anywhere and Hoggle was completely positive that there was no point in actually going to the castle. He was certain that Jareth had not set foot in there since Sarah's departure, and he knew there were darker forces in residence that he'd rather not face. Eventually he suggested that they stop for the night and Sarah agreed. They found a sturdy looking home with a door large enough for her to get through easily and hunkered down in what had probably been the living room. Hoggle lit a fire in the fireplace and they burned debris and bits of broken furniture while Hoggle told Sarah about the years since she had first come to the labyrinth.

"After Jareth disappeared we had no leader and things quickly got out of control. Jareth had left behind three goblin apprentices who soon began to gather followers and fight each other for dominance. Eventually they had all the goblins divided into three distinct armies. At first their battles were more like play than actual fighting, but eventually they became real. Their leaders were brutal and forced conflict despite the fact that no one army had any clear advantage over the others. Thousands of goblins died and no winner was ever declared." Hoggle shuddered. "Eventually the three apprentices retreated to the castle with their remaining troops and things have been quiet ever since."

"Are they still in the castle?"

"Oh yes, that is certain, but nobody knows what's happening in there now. I've sneaked around in there in the past, but much of it is blocked off with physical or magical barriers, and frankly, I have no interest in going back. The whole place is so creepy."

Eventually Hoggle dozed off and Sarah tried to sleep, but she was worried about her family. By now they would definitely have missed her and would be quite worried. If she'd been smart she would have left a note with some excuse for her prolonged absence. Then again, she thought, after everything she'd seen today she was beginning to realize that if she'd been smart she would not have come at all. Still, she was committed now and couldn't imagine having to ask Hoggle to send her back without having accomplished their goal. However, if they didn't find him tomorrow she would have to return home or her family would probably report her missing to the police. It was an unsettling thought, to say the least.

Despite her worries and the horrible things she had seen and heard that day, Sarah's last thought as she fell asleep was to wonder what it would be like to know you were going to live forever.


	13. Watching Her

Chapter 13 Watching Her

Jareth was beginning to get a slight headache. Magic use always had a cost and he was multitasking in a very big way today. But he couldn't resist the urge to watch Sarah as he led her through the labyrinth. At first he was just having a bit of fun, but eventually he decided he should be honest. She should see his handiwork- or rather what his neglect had caused. Watching her discomfort when she walked over the goblin bones had been painful for him. It was almost as bad as when h first realized what had happened in his absence. It was not the first time Jareth had wronged the goblins, and the pain of seeing so many dead had been heartbreaking. Sarah ought to know that he was not a good person, or a good king, if she was going to continue to search for him.

Thankfully, now she was asleep. He found it much more enjoyable to watch her in repose than in the anguish she'd been in earlier. He peered into his scrying mirror and studied her beautiful face. She was so relaxed that she looked almost as young as when he first saw her, but her full lips were more woman than child in his eyes now. He was mesmerized by her; he always had been. Jareth felt he could watch her the whole night through, but the pain in his head reminded him that he had other things to focus on than the way Sarah's breasts rose and fell with each breath. He ended the vision reluctantly, and instead prepared to send her a message.


	14. What You Need

Chapter 14 What you Need

Dawn was just beginning to break when Sarah woke. She was still tired and could happily have stayed unconscious, but something had startled her. After a moment she heard it again- a quiet, slow shuffling accompanied by the occasional clang, bang and smack of some very large object moving along the wall of the building they had hunkered down in. Hoggle was still asleep, but quieter now than he had been most of the night. She nudged him awake but made sure he remained quiet so as not to alert whatever was outside of their presence.

Sarah was not sure she was feeling up to encountering any new creatures this morning. They waited quietly; hoping whatever it was would simply pass by. Unfortunately, luck did not seem to be on their side. The movement stopped at the front door and a moment later it swung open. The creature blocked all the faint morning light that might have come through the door so Sarah and Hoggle could not see anything but the black hulking form. They both froze, waiting for this creature to make the next move.

"Wot you doin' in my house?!" the creature called out in a shrill voice. It began to force its bulk through the small doorway.

Sarah squinted to get a better look and finally realized what she was seeing. She gave a sigh of relief, got up, and walked over to the owner of that voice. The little old woman was only a few feet tall, but somehow she had managed to strap a junk pile to her back that was at least five feet above her head. Sarah took the woman's hand and helped to yank her through the door.

"Hello," Sarah said. "We're sorry. We didn't think anyone lived in this house. It looked empty."

"Well a'course it looked empty. It would be foolish of me t' leave all me valuables unattended so any thieves what wanted them could take 'em." The old woman eyes them suspiciously for a moment but when they made no apparent move to rob her she reached for the clasp holding the backpack to her chest. Somehow removing that one snap released the entire pile and it fell to the floor and spread to the corners of the room. The wave of junk seemed to expand as it tumbled. It came up almost to Sarah's knees and actually knocked Hoggle off his feet. He grunted and struggled back into a standing position, but Sarah was distracted by the long stare the old woman was giving her.

"I know you," she said. "I've seen ya before."

Sarah nodded. "Yes, I'm Sarah. We met the last time I was here. You tried to distract me so I wouldn't make it to the castle."

"Ah yes, yes. You had some lovely things, just loverly! I think I might still have one or two items of yours." She began to shuffle through the items surrounding her but Sarah was not interested.

"That's all right," she replied. "There's nothing you have that I really need."

"Is that so," the tiny woman replied. "Don't tell me you're still trying to get t' the castle? I don't think you'se want to go there sweetie, it's nae a very nice place anymore."

"We're not going to the castle," Hoggle answered for them.

"We're looking for Jareth," Sarah said. "Have you seen him by any chance?"

"Jareth? Why nae, I've not seen 'im in ages. But I knew you'd come looking for him," she nodded to Sarah as if in confirmation of her own statement. "Knew you'd come. I've got something you'll need to find him." She continued to rummage through the items around her feet.

"You have something that will help us find him?" Sarah asked curiously.

"Definitely some things Miss Sarah needs to get to Jareth. Yes, yes!" The old woman was practically swimming through the junk pile now, sending up a spray of random items now and then. After a minute or two she surfaced and turned back to Sarah with a look of triumph. "Here we go, love, here's it is."

The first item the woman handed her was Sarah's high school diploma. Sarah stared at it for a moment in puzzlement, but the woman quickly piled on more items. Sarah wasn't able to properly look at it all as the pile grew, but she saw a playbill from her first acting job, an award she won in college, her driver's license, some knick knacks from her apartment, and at the very top, a framed picture of Mark from Valentine's Day earlier that year. After dropping this load into Sarah's arms the old woman began to rummage again.

Sarah looked through the pile with interest, a slight smile playing across her face when she looked at these mementos, but when Hoggle discretely cleared his throat she snapped out of it. She was not going to fall for the same trick a second time. She dropped the items back into the waves of junk and turned to the old woman.

"Thanks, but none of this will help us search. We should be going."

"Search?" the old woman sounded confused. "No, no. That's not fer searchin', that's fer travelin'. You've been travelin'."

Sarah smiled and nodded in appeasement. "Yes, we've been traveling, and now we need to go on."

The woman dumped the items out of her arms. "Ooch, well, then you'se better take this then." She unearthed a backpack from the pile and handed it over. "It's some vittles to give you energy. It's no good skippin' breakfast ya know!"

Sarah took the bag and peeked in. It seemed to be packed with snack foods and an old-fashioned waterskin. She thanked the old woman for her kindness and removed a small ring from her finger to give her in return. It was a simple silver Celtic knot but the old woman's eyes lit up as if she'd been given a giant ruby."

"Very kind, very kind!" the woman cried in pleasure. She carefully tucked the ring into a pouch that was tied around her neck.

"Well, we best be leaving," Hoggle said. Sarah nodded and they turned to go. The sun was up now and light was streaming in through the door as they reached it. Sarah turned to say goodbye when something glinting in the pile near her feet caught her eye. It was a small, perfect looking crystal ball. Sarah picked it up and looked into it, but all she saw was her own distorted reflection. Still, she was drawn to the object with the same strong pull she had felt the first time Jareth had offered her one in exchange for Toby.

"Where did you find this?" she asked the woman.

"Wat? That's not mine. I never seen that a'fore in my life."

"Then you won't mind if I keep it?" Sarah asked.

"It's not mine, it must be yours. It's yours."

Sarah had difficulty taking her eyes away from the ball, but Hoggle shuffled impatiently at her side so she carefully put it into the backpack and thanked the old woman again before turning and stepping outside of the little house. She felts surprisingly well this morning and ready to continue on in their quest. The only problem was, she had no idea which way their quest was meant to take them now.


	15. Into the Woods

Chapter 15 Into the Woods

Since they had no real idea of which way to go Sarah decided to skirt the castle and at least take a look at the outside of it. They ate some bread and fruit while they walked and, with a full stomach, Sarah was feeling grateful to the old woman and very optimistic despite the aimlessness of their walk. The castle showed no outward signs of anything bad, but Hoggle seemed a bit jittery as they approached so Sarah didn't press him to look inside. She knew Jareth wasn't in there so there was no reason to poke around anyway. After she'd had her fill of looking at the big stone walls they veered off into the labyrinth again. She knew she should be upset, like she had been last night, but a pleasant sort of calm had settled over her as they finished their breakfast. She was filled with energy. Hoggle also seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood as well; which led her to believe that there was something special about the food they had been given.

The idea that their food had been tampered with or spelled to affect their mood would normally have been alarming to Sarah but she was too happy to care- further proof of her suspicion. Her mind was wandering a bit so that she almost missed the first arrow on the ground. At the last moment the pink color caught her eye amidst all the gray stone. They had reached an intersection and, with no particular destination in mind, had no reason to turn from their current path. However, when Sarah noticed the marking on the ground she stopped to take a closer look. It was an arrow pointing down the corridor they were about to walk past. It appeared to be drawn in lipstick. When Sarah touched it the color smudged on her finger as if it had just been drawn, but she knew deep down that was not the case. She had drawn this arrow, but she had drawn it almost 20 years ago.

"Look Hoggle," she said. He had continued to walk when she paused and was now a short way ahead of her. "There's an arrow pointing this way."

Hoggle wandered back to her side. "I wonder who drew that," he said.

"I did," Sarah replied. "I tried to mark my way the first time I was here but someone kept moving the bricks I wrote on. It made me even more lost."

"Hmmm. So do you think we should follow it now? Maybe it's meant to lead you in the wrong direction again."

Sarah shook her head and began walking in the direction the arrow indicated. "No, I don't think so. I think this time Jareth is using them to point me in the right direction." After a moment of consideration she added, "Either way it's not like we have a lot of options. We don't know which way to go so one direction is as good as another."

Sure enough, when they reached the next intersection they came across another arrow, this one pointing them down the middle option of three paths. Sarah's confidence grew with each step they took and each sign they found. They appeared to be heading in one very definite direction, despite the occasional twist or turn. Even when they left the carefully paved area for gravel path and hedge walls the squares continued to turn up placed at regular intervals to guide their way.

It was nearing midday and Sarah was hot and thirsty. Although she could have continued on a bit longer she called for a rest. Hoggle was looking a bit winded and she felt bad for not considering how difficult it might be for him to keep up with her longer stride. The place they chose to rest was close to an opening in the hedges and as Sarah peered through it she could see forrest. It looked mysterious and, when she remember the birdlike creatures she encountered last time, it also looked slightly sinister. Still, it seemed pretty clear that this was the direction they were being led, so after they drank and ate some more of the food from the backpack they walked into the trees.

The shade was a welcome relief and the ground felt soft and springy. Sarah hadn't realized until then just how much her feet were starting to hurt. Walking on cobble stones, gravel, or- shudder- goblin bones, was not exactly easy on the soles. The more they walked the more comfortable she began to feel. The trees were actually quite lovely. Sarah made sure they stayed close together, but they did not encounter anyone or come across any trap doors. Sarah's enhanced good mood was still in effect, probably as a result of their second meal of the day. 'If this was a Disney movie I'd burst into song and the birds would perch on my shoulders,' she thought to herself. The image made her smile and Hoggle happened to glance back and see it.

"What are you grinning about?"

"I can't help it," she replied. "It's just so magical here. It's so far from reality and from my life in New York. Even the trees in Central Park are not this beautiful."

Hoggle grunted in what Sarah decided was agreement about the beauty of their setting. "But you weren't in New York when I found you, were you?" He said "New York" as though it were a foreign term; and she supposed it was to Hoggle. "You were in the home where you grew up."

"Yes. I had to go to Toby's graduation and then I was staying for a few weeks of vacation away from the city."

"From what you've said New York is very big? Do you miss it?"

Sarah considered this for a minute. "I miss some things- like the theater and the food, but I don't miss the traffic, the noise, and the smells." Sarah inhaled deeply. "It's so fresh and clean here. At times in the city I don't even want to take a deep like that breath because of all the car exhaust or garbage."

"That doesn't sound very nice to me," he declared.

"Sometimes it's not a very nice place, but I love it. I doubt I'll always want to live there, but for now it is my home. And… it's where my work is."

"Don't you believe in the expression 'home is where the heart is'?"

"I suppose I do," she replied flippantly.

"So is your heart in New York?"

Before she had time to respond they were both distracted to discover they had almost snacked right into a tall stone wall. One minute they were surrounded by trees, and the next they were face to face with what appeared to be a solid slab of granite extending at least 12 feet high and as far as they could see in either direction. It was completely smooth and shiny except for one spot a few feet away from where they were standing. When they looked closer they discovered it to be an elaborately carved mahogany door with an ornate handle.

"Have you any idea where this leads?" she asked Hoggle.

"I've never seen this place before in my life," He replied.

Sarah reached out to grab the handle and was surprised when it turned easily and, despite the heaviness of the door, bean to swing open.


	16. Doors

Chapter 16 Doors

Sarah had been tricked.

Her expectations were high as she walked through the door with Hoggle close behind her. The grandeur of the exterior wall had made her believe they had found something special- perhaps even Jareth's new sanctum. However, when the door swung shut behind them they were left standing in a smallish circular room with an open ceiling and nothing in it but twelve doors of varying design. The floor was not smooth, but rather was made up of slightly raised concentric circles radiating out from the center of the room. Although easy enough to walk across the texture added to the sense of disorientation which had struck the moment they were closed into this space. Discovering that Jareth was not behind the door was disappointing, but not crushing. That wasn't the trick. The trick was what happened when Hoggle opened the door they had just come through.

They were both worried about being locked into this strange little room so Hoggle retreated to the same door and informed Sarah that he was going to prop it open before they tried any others. However, when he opened it they did not see the forest they had just left. Instead they found themselves looking at a tiny stone cottage with a large garden in the front yard.

Hoggle gave a grunt of surprise. "That's my house!"

The sound of his voice alerted someone in the garden and a moment later baby Sarah came toddling towards them, arms outstretched as she called for her 'papa' and failed to watch her step. She tripped and, with the usual lack of grace most small children display, fell face first into the dirt. She began to cry and Hoggle, like any good father, instinctively rushed forward to pick her up and comfort her. Sarah called out and stepped closer to the doorway but she was not fast enough to prevent it from swinging shut with her and Hoggle on opposite sides. Although it was only closed a few seconds before she pulled it open again, Sarah had enough time to realize what had happened and know that her action was futile. Sure enough, when she opened the door it no longer led to Hoggle's garden. Instead, it was bricked off completely.

"Shit!" Her unladylike exclamation was the only thing Sarah could think of to express her frustration. The mood elevating buzz she had gotten from the food was completely worn off and being left alone filled her with a sense of unease bordering on real fear. Although she had never been claustrophobic before, when Sarah turned around and studied the small room she suddenly wished she was on a rooftop patio in New York with nothing but sky around her. She'd settle for an open field in Central Park or a wide theater stage. Heck, she'd be okay with the spacious living room of her parent's house.

Sarah shook her head to clear it. It was stupid to stand there thinking about those places when she was here. She had twelve doors to choose from- one of them was bound to take her someplace useful. Hoggle might even be behind one of them. It was just another one of Jareth's puzzles. She decided the best thing to do would work in a logical order so she turned to the left and walked the few steps to the next door. This one was made of metal and instead of a knob it had a horizontal push bar like you'd see on emergency exit doors. It was heavy but Sarah hefted it open and looked through without stepping across the threshold.

Everything appeared to be gray: the floor, the walls, and the sky. It took Sarah a moment to acclimate herself to what she was seeing, but once she did she realized where she was. She was standing in the doorway of a rooftop patio- probably in New York. She could even smell the faintest whiff of car exhaust. But the wide open space in front of her was less appealing than it had been in her mind. She closed the door and moved on. The next door opened to reveal Central Park and Sarah realized that to passersby she looked like she was about to step out of a big blue port-a-potty. She let that door swing shut as well.

Sarah easily understood what Jareth was doing. All the places she'd thought of appeared when she opened the doors. This was much simpler than she thought it would be. She smiled at her impending triumph and thought about Jareth. She willed herself to find him behind the next door and pushed it open.

The door opened to reveal a room she had been in once before. It was built like Escher's _Relativity_ painting. There were countless staircases going in every direction as though gravity did not exist; and Sarah remembered that in this room it did not. She was about to close the door again in disappointment when she saw him. Jareth stood with his back to a wall, glancing around a corner at something she couldn't quite see. Excited, she was about to call out to him when suddenly she saw what he was looking at- it was her.

Sarah's teenage self came into view and froze modern day Sarah in her tracks. She knew instantly that she was watching her former self searching for Toby in that crazy room. She must somehow be looking into the past. The idea was both fascinating and disturbing and Sarah stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. What would happen if she did step into the past? Her goal was to find Jareth and there he was; but would messing with this encounter change how things turned out? Sarah was a fan of science fiction and knew well enough that you didn't want to cause a paradox.

Seeing herself so young was a strange experience for Sarah, but she only looked for a moment before her eyes were drawn back to Jareth. He seemed as unaware of grownup Sarah's presence a few feet away from him as the teenage Sarah was of him watching her. He shifted a few feet so he could keep her younger self in his line of sight. She was surprised to see his expression was one of hunger as he watched her. During her adventure in the labyrinth Sarah had been very physically aware of Jareth and had felt drawn to him, but she had never felt he was sexually aware of her. He'd treated her like a pretty child and had constantly been trying to bend her to his will. 'Perhaps she'd been too naïve to recognize his interest at the time,' she thought. But no, she'd never seen quite that expression on his face before. It was sexual, but also tinged with sadness and pain.

It felt weirdly voyeuristic to be watching him, and at the same time filled her with a strange sense of déjà vu. Her brain was having trouble processing everything accurately, but her emotions were functioning just fine. As she watched the play of emotions over his face she felt a tightening in her chest and her heart began to race. She'd known then that he was handsome and exotic, but seeing him through her adult eyes was something completely different. She was about to step through the door and reach out to him when, suddenly, the whole scene flickered and reset itself. Jareth was standing in his original position and the younger version of Sarah was nowhere to be seen again until she came rushing in a moment later looking for Toby.

Sarah let go of the doorknob and let it close in front of her. It was not a portal to the past and there was no point in trying to reach that Jareth. It was more like a recording of the past, showing the scene from Jareth's perspective rather than her own. Enlightening as that had been, it got her no closer to finding him in the present time.

Her plan to find Jareth by thinking about being with him didn't work. She decided the best thing to do would be to clear her mind. If she didn't think of any particular place then the next door would have to lead somewhere unexpected, or so she hoped. It opened to what appeared to be a bird's eye view directly over Niagara Falls. It was dizzying and extremely loud. Sarah shut that door quickly. The next door revealed the interior of an airplane with no passengers or crew members in sight. The next was an oubliette. On and on Sarah went around the circle. She quickly returned to her original door but kept going. No door ever opened to the same place twice. Some places she recognized, such as the stage door in the theater where she was currently working. Some were completely foreign to her. But after walking in circles until her head was spinning one thing was becoming pretty clear… none of the doors led her to Jareth. She was stuck.

Sarah gave a small scream of frustration and slammed the door in front of her shut. It had led to what appeared to be a broom closet. There was no point in continuing and she was tired and hungry. She walked to the middle of the room, sat on the ground with a huff and pulled a piece of "happy" fruit out of the backpack. She devoured it quickly and felt her mood lighten slightly, but neither her stomach nor her endorphins were satisfied. Sarah dug around the bag looking for other food, but they had eaten it all. The only thing remaining in the sack was the crystal ball. For lack of anything else to do she pulled it out and examined it closely. She thought back to the first time she had seen one. Jareth had exhibited some impressive dexterity as he manipulated the ball and nearly hypnotized her with his melodic voice.

"It will show you your dreams," he had said of the crystal ball. She'd wanted it so much! Even now she was mesmerized by the way the light glinted off the surface of the sphere. Sarah looked deeper, trying to peer into the ball and see if it really did what he claimed. If it showed Sarah her dreams then she supposed it would show her on a grand stage on Broadway getting a standing ovation; or maybe being presented with a Tony Award. Sarah's aspirations had always been career oriented. However, she could see nothing in the crystal.

She thought perhaps she was trying too hard or was projecting what she wanted too much. Was being on the stage still really her dream? Sarah wasn't world famous by any standards, but she was well known and respected in the theater. Considering her age there were many people who might say her career was at its peak. Besides, was it really as challenging and exciting as it had been when she was starting out? Deep down Sarah knew she still loved to act, but that the intense thrill was gone. So if her dreams weren't related to her work, what could they be? What was her driving force now?

She tried to open her mind and let her eyes go out of focus. Perhaps if she looked into the ball just right she would see what her focus should be and it would lead her to something she could be passionate about. Unbidden, Jareth's image flashed though her mind, but the ball remained frustratingly clear. It was nothing but a waste of time.

Sarah set the ball down on the ground in front of her. It settled into the groove of the spiral and began to roll away from her in a slow arc. Sarah watched moodily as it made a complete circle around her once, twice, three times; each time getting slightly farther away. She hadn't noticed it herself, but the floor must slant ever so slightly in order for the ball to move along the spiral pattern. On its fourth lap around the crystal came to a sudden halt a few feet in front of her. To Sarah's surprise, it suddenly sprung free from the groove it was sitting in and bounced a foot in the opposite direction. It bounced a second time, and then a third before it began to roll. This time, however, it was not rolling in a smooth circle with the flow of the lines. Instead, it rolled over them, clinking noisily each time it passed over a bump.

The room was small and it didn't have very far to go. The crystal ball came to a stop at the base of one of the doors. Although no longer moving, it seemed to almost vibrate with energy and expectation. Sarah had tried the door half a dozen times at least and had seen a different location each time. She stood up slowly and continued to stare at the ball as if waiting to see what else it might do, but it stayed put. She walked over and reached for the knob. 'This time it would be different,' she thought. Sarah was filled with a sense of nervous expectation not unlike the sensation she felt before stepping into the spotlight on stage, but stronger. This was something special.

Slowly, carefully, she opened the door.


	17. Paradise Found

The door swung open smoothly and soundlessly. The moment it was open the crystal ball hopped the threshold and rolled into the lush green grass on the other side. Sarah hesitated for a moment before entering, but not because she was unsure if she should or not. She was awestruck.

About twenty yards in front of her was a stone cottage that looked like something out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. Only the windows and occasional patches of the stone walls were visible as the majority of the surface area was covered with climbing ivy and wisteria. The roof was thatched and the door looked like old, heavy oak. As beautiful as it was, the building only held her attention for a moment as Sarah took in other, more unusual details. The garden surrounding the house was large and contained plants both familiar and unfamiliar to her. To the left she saw what appeared to be a large floating mass of water with dark shapes gliding around inside it. After a moment she realized they were large, colorful koi. To the right there was an open field and, in the distance, mountains covered in a misty haze. As she stood there a pair of terriers came bounding around from behind the cottage and chased each other in through the garden. They did not seem to notice Sarah or the doorway she was standing in, but after a moment they discovered the crystal ball as it continued to roll slowly through the grass. Their tails began to wag uncontrollably as they followed it, occasionally making a show of barking or pouncing as though they were chasing a mouse. The ball was moving around the right side of the cottage and would soon be out of her sight.

Sarah stepped through the door and it closed behind her and disappeared but she was not concerned. The moment her feet touched the ground she felt a sense of rightness and knew she was in the correct place. It almost felt like home, which was strange considering how exactly opposite it was from her actual residence.

She hurried to catch up with the ball and its canine escorts. As she approached the dogs they did finally notice her and let out a few alarmed yaps before running up to sniff her curiously. She petted them each for a moment before the three of them returned to their pursuit of the rolling crystal. Sarah continued to look around, taking in the beauty of the location. The sun was shining brightly but it was noticeably more temperate than it had been in the labyrinth. Everything about the place seemed perfect.

When she reached the back corner of the house she saw where the ball was heading and slowed to a stop. Her breath caught in her throat and Sarah was filled with an odd mixture of anxiety and exhilaration. Jareth was standing less than 20 feet away from her. His back was to her, but Sarah recognized the flamboyance of his attire, the highlights in his hair, and the proud tilt of his head as he studied an easel in front of him. The crystal ball made a beeline towards him and didn't stop until it thumped into the back of his foot. It was only when he bent down to retrieve it that Sarah noticed he was holding a paintbrush and palette. He set them in the grass and carefully picked up the crystal.

Jareth's features were carefully masked when he turned to face Sarah. She wished she could be as poised, but Sarah knew her emotions were too out of control to be kept completely off her face. She stared back at him with an expression of wonder, bewilderment, pleasure and a hint of fear. For a long moment neither of them moved or spoke as they simply stared. Sarah was surprised to see that this close he looked exactly the same as she remembered. Despite the passage of nearly 20 years he hadn't aged. The more traditional cut of his hair only emphasized his aristocratic facial features and highlighted his eyes. Sarah took in the details of his appearance quickly but when her eyes met his she stood transfixed.

He was the only to finally break the spell that seemed to hold them both motionless. He glanced down to the crystal ball in his hand. "I've been looking for this," he declared. He glanced back at Sarah and slowly, almost cautiously, began to walk towards her. Sarah remained motionless as he approached; but her training finally kicked in and she was able to school her features into a serene mask.

When he was only a foot or so away he stopped. Sarah found herself looking up into his beautiful, mismatched eyes. "So," he said with a hint of his usual arrogance, "You found me." With his right hand he reached up and briefly stroked her face. His touch was so light that the moment he moved his hand away Sarah questioned whether he really had touched her at all. However, it was enough to jolt her out of the near stupor the sight of him had plunged her into. She put her own hand up and carefully placed it in the center of his chest, testing to see if he was real. He felt solid and very warm.

"Jareth," she said breathlessly.


	18. The Artist

Chapter 18 The Artist

For a moment Sarah saw heat and hunger flicker in Jareth's eyes. She removed her hand self-consciously and took a step back to break the bubble of sudden intimacy which had formed around them.

"I can't believe it's really you," she said. "You look exactly the same as I remember." She gave him what she hoped was a casual once over. "Well, aside from the hair and the paint smears."

Jareth looked down at himself and smiled. His ruffled white shirt had small bits of color here and there but he brushed his hands across them and they disappeared.

"Better?" he asked.

Sarah couldn't help but smile at this small act of trickery but she quickly turned serious. "You knew I was coming." It was not a question. "You know why?"

"Because you wish to abdicate the throne and feel as though it should fall to me to clean up the mess."

Sarah didn't rise to the bait. "I cannot abdicate a throne I never accepted. However, it does seem to me as though you left things in quite a mess. It follows that you should be the one to put them right."

"That is a matter of debate, but now is hardly the time. You've just arrived and you look as though you could use some rest and refreshment." He gestured towards the cottage. "Won't you please come in," he said formally.

Although his tone had not been judgmental in the least, Sarah was suddenly conscious of how bedraggled and dirty she must appear. She smoothed her hair but maintained an appearance of confidence. "Please, I don't have much time. My family is probably frantic by now. I've been missing for two days. You must go back home to the castle."

"This is my home now," he said as he turned and began walking slowly towards the back door of the cottage. Sarah matched his pace. "A few more hours will not make any difference in your world. I promise to return you to the same time when you first left."

"You can really do that?"

Jareth gave him a withering look. "Surely you realize time moves differently here and there? You've seen how I can manipulate it."

Relief flooded through Sarah. She hadn't been aware of quite how much her worry was physically affecting her, but now she realized the tension that had been filling her was gone. Her family wouldn't know she had been missing. Without quite realizing it she gave Jareth a huge, grateful smile. They had reached the door and Jareth held it while she preceded him into the cottage. Sarah took a few steps inside but when she got a good look around she stopped suddenly, causing Jareth to almost bump into her. She compensated by sidestepping and wobbled slightly.

Jareth put a hand on her arm to steady her and it sent sparks running down to her fingertips. The sensation was startling. Sarah had never experienced such a thing before and when she'd read about it in romance novels and the like she'd typically rolled her eyes at the idea of such nonsense. She glanced up to see if Jareth had felt the same thing, but his face was impassive. He kept hold of her arm and escorted her across the room.

The reason Sarah had stopped at the threshold was that she was surprised by the dimensions of the room. From the outside the cottage looked to be no more than 1,000 square feet or so, but the room they entered was at least that size and there were doors and hallways running in multiple directions as well as a large, curving staircase which dominated the left side of the living room. The hosue was huge.

"Come," Jareth said politely. "My housekeeper has already run a hot bath for you. I'll see about some dinner while you relax for a while." He led her down a short hallway and Sarah noticed several paintings on the wall that she wanted to examine more closely, but Jareth's guiding hand on her arm kept her moving.

"And we can talk after?"

"Certainly. I imagine we won't have any shortage of subjects to discuss." He stopped at the door to the bathroom and turned to leave, but before he walked away he glanced back at her. "I am glad to see you again." His voice was soft and almost hesitant but before Sarah could respond he was walking away.

Sarah entered the room and leaned against the closed door. The situation was so surreal that she was having trouble processing everything. In only a few short days she'd remembered something magical from her childhood, been taken to an alternate dimension or parallel universe, or whatever this was, and spent two days searching for a man she thought was a villain of sorts. And now that she'd found him she was about to take a bath and then have dinner with him in his home.

She had to admit though, the bath sounded tempting. Sarah was dirty and sore from all the walking. She undressed behind a privacy screen in the corner and made her way over to the huge claw footed tub. The water was steaming slightly, sending the scent of strawberries into the air. It was the same fragrance she used at home, but she was not surprised to find it here. She sunk into the water with a sigh of contentment and felt herself relaxing. It wasn't rational for her to feel so calm but she did. In fact, after a few minutes she also began to feel rejuvenated and happy; leading her to believe the bathwater, much like the food she'd eaten earlier, was spiked with some type of mood altering magic. Considering how all over the place her feelings had been for the past two days she was grateful for the effect.

There was a wide assortment of toiletries for her to choose from so after soaking for a few more minutes Sarah washed her hair and got out of the tub. The towel racks were heated- a bit of luxury which Sarah had always wanted in her own home, but which was unexpected here. After such a pleasant bath the idea of putting on her grubby clothes was rather off putting, but when she stepped behind the screen again she found a cream-colored satin dress instead of her jeans and blouse. It was sleeveless, had a high collar and fitted waist. There was also a pair of delicate sandals and the appropriate undergarments. Sarah was certain no one had entered the room while she was bathing, but she was beyond the point of being surprised by any of Jareth's little magic tricks. Instead she simply put on the clothes and admired the perfect fit. The fabric was surprisingly light weight and cool.

On the other side of the spacious bathroom she found a vanity with an assortment of makeup and hair products. Although she had no watch to check the time, she suspected she'd been in there for nearly an hour so she finished getting ready as speedily as possible and made her way back into the hallway. She meant to make her way quickly to the main room, but she distracted almost immediately. Sarah had to stop to study the paintings.

They were all obviously originals and expertly, exquisitely, done. She recalled the easel Jareth had been standing in front of when she first found him and wondered if he was the artist. It was an unexpected side to him. All three paintings in the hall were landscapes and Sarah was particularly taken with a woodland scene. It depicted a small clearing in the woods. In the thick of the trees everything was dark, mysterious and appeared slightly cool; but the clearing had sunlight streaming in, warming the colors and making the scene look inviting rather than threatening. The detail was so amazing that after staring at the image for a minute or so Sarah began to think she could see a gentle breeze causing the branches to flutter gracefully. She blinked a few times and then realized that she was not imagining it. The image in the painting was moving.

Sarah moved on to examine the other two paintings more closely and the same thing happened. The paintings reacted as though they knew they were being watched and, after a moment or two, they began to show signs of small movement. They were more like looking out a window than at a work of art. Sarah smiled. If she had time after she convinced Jareth to return to the throne she would have to ask him about his artwork. She'd always admired creativity in all its forms. By now she was at the end of the hallways and could see into the giant living room. It was empty.

Sarah heard noise coming from the hallway opposite so she crossed the room and went to investigate. She found Jareth in the kitchen talking to himself- or so it seemed. After watching him for a moment she realized that he was not alone after all. On the countertop next to him rested a worm with bright pink hair. Upon noticing Sarah in the doorway the worm called out "'Ello!" in a cheery voice with a strong British accent.


	19. Dinner With Friends

Chapter 19 Dinner with Friends

"Ah," Jareth said cheerfully, "Sarah, I'd like you to meet my housekeeper Gladys." He nodded in the direction of the tiny worm but kept his hands busy with shredding lettuce into a bowl.

"How do you do," Sarah said automatically. She smiled at Gladys but was distracted by the sight of Jareth doing something as mundane as making salad with his bare hands.

"Lovely ta meet you at last Sarah," Gladys said. "I've heard a lot about you from this one an' from me husband Clive."

"Clive?"

"Oh yes, Clive. He should be back soon. You met him the last time you were here."

Sarah smiled at the memory of the small blue haired work she'd encountered early on in her original journey through the labyrinth. "I remember him."

"Why don't you have a seat," Jareth suggested. "Dinner is almost ready."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, no," Gladys said. "You're our guest. We haven't had a guest in…. well, ever! You just make yourself comfortable and we'll eat in a few minutes."

So Sarah sat down at the homey little table in the middle of the kitchen. She noticed that it was set for three with mismatched, but harmonious plates, shining silverware, and heavy looking cut crystal glasses. There was a small bouquet of flowers in the center, flanked by two candles. The effect was simple, but elegant and Sarah felt quite at home. She watched Jareth with open curiosity while he finished preparing the meal. Just as he was setting the salad on the table she heard the door behind her squeak open slightly.

"'Ello, ello! I'm home." In response to his voice Sarah turned to look and saw Clive slowly inching his way into the kitchen.

"Just in time dear," his wife said. "We're about to eat."

Jareth picked up Gladys and set her by one of the empty place settings before moving to retrieve Clive and place him next to his wife. Staring across the table at her Clive seemed to notice Sarah for the first time.

"Well, you made it at last I see."

Sarah smiled. "Yes. You've been expecting me?"

"Why sure! We've been waiting ages for you to come. Why Jareth here-"

"I think the lasagna is done," Jareth interrupted. "What wine do you suggest Clive?" He removed a dish from the oven and set it in the table. He added a basket of steaming breadsticks before moving to a small wine rack on the far counter.

"The Lafite?" Clive suggested.

"2009?" Jareth asked as he reached for a bottle.

"Sounds perfect," Gladys declared. She and Clive looked to Sarah for her approval.

"Wonderful."

Jareth poured for everyone- the worms shared a thimble which was placed near the goblet at their setting. Once the wine was poured Jareth finally sat down and they all served themselves from the dishes. The first bite of pasta was like heaven to Sarah.

"This is amazing!" she declared.

"Thank you," Jareth said. "I enjoy cooking."

"That surprises me."

"Why should it?"

"Well, I just assumed you'd have servants to do that for you, or that you'd just, I don't know, magic yourself anything you want to eat."

"I don't use magic for everything you know," Jareth said. "It has a cost."

"And yet I've already seen dozens of examples of magic since I arrived, including in the paintings on your walls," Sarah pointed out.

"Small tricks and enchantments," Jareth replied. "They do not use much magic. Take the paintings… once the basic enchantment is set up they are self-sustaining. I don't need to focus my energy on them each time someone views them. But to create something from nothing, such as materializing a meal, takes more effort and the effects are gone as soon as you've finished eating."

"I didn't realize. I suppose it makes sense that there has to be some limits on the amount of magic a person can do."

Jareth smiled. "A simple lasagna dinner would hardly tax my strength, but I have other things I am focused on at the moment, and since I enjoy cooking it would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity to prepare a meal for us all." He turned to smile at Clive and Gladys as well before raising his glass.

"To good company," he toasted.

The others repeated those three words and continued to eat quietly but contentedly for a few minutes. Sarah was enjoying her food so much she was hesitant to bring up the discussion she knew was coming, but as soon as she finished eating she felt she could delay no longer. She opened her mouth to speak but Jareth beat her to the punch.

"I can see you're about to launch into a persuasive speech about why I need to return to the throne."

"I can see you already know that's the right thing to do," she countered.

"Right and wrong are much more amorphous concepts than you know," he said mysteriously. "But I suppose since you've come all this way the last I can do is agree to negotiate with you."

"Negotiate?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," he replied, ignoring the way her implied her request for clarification. "Shall we move this discussion to the lounge?"

By now everyone was finished with their meal. Clive and Gladys both smiled encouragingly at Sarah before Gladys made shooing motions in her direction. "Yes, tha' sounds like a good idea. You two go on. Clive an' I will take care o' the dishes."

Sarah couldn't fathom how two tiny worms would manage to 'take care' of the mess but she supposed they knew what to do so she smiled and thanked them for their kindness before turning to Jareth.

"Thank you Jareth," Sarah said sincerely. "That was really delicious."

He simply smiled and gestured for Sarah to precede him out the door. They made their way to the living room where a fire was now lit in the massive fireplace. They both sat on the couch near the blaze. Sarah moved to the very corner of her seat and turned so that she was facing Jareth in his corner.

"So, I really don't know what bargaining chips you think I have," she said. "What is it you want to negotiate for?"

"You," he replied. "I want you."

Sarah's breath caught in her throat. His words were startlingly blunt. She felt herself begin to flush and knew her cheeks were growing pink. She hoped it appeared to Jareth to be a modest blush, but she wasn't sure if she was fooling him. The heat which started in her chest was also traveling downward through her stomach, abdomen, and lower; and she felt herself become slightly aroused as she considered his simple statement. 'I want you too" flashed through her mind but she didn't say the words aloud.

"I want you to sit for a portrait."


	20. Getitng to Know You

Chapter 20 Getting to Know You

Sarah did not respond for a full minute while she attempted to analyze Jareth's comment. She was embarrassed by her physical response to her misinterpretation of his words. Still, she couldn't help but feel that he'd made the provocative statement intentionally. Did he wish to see how she would respond to such a bold assertion or was she merely projecting? Sarah remembered Jareth as being attractive, and in the past few days as her mind dwelled on him she saw that attraction in a much more sexual manner than her teenaged self had been aware of. But now, having met him face to face again, her senses and her hormones were overloaded and it was quite possible she was imagining he had a greater interest than he really did. Even more likely, Jareth could be toying with her.

Keeping her tone calm but politely interested she merely responded with, "So you paint portraits as well as landscapes?" She nodded towards the hallways where the three beautiful paintings hung. "I assumed those were yours."

"Yes, I've done quite a few portraits, but I mainly have to do them from memory. Aside from Clive and Gladys I don't have any live models to work with normally. And really, there's only so many times you can paint a worm's portrait and still feel artistically challenged."

Sarah smiled at the thought. "I'd love to see more of your paintings. But as for sitting for you, doesn't that take quite a bit of time? I feel as though it would be wrong to delay."

"A day or two while I make some preliminary sketches and work out the color scheme," Jareth replied. He was staring at her closely as though he was already beginning to make plans. "It is incredibly difficult to capture the luminous quality of a beautiful woman's skin without having a chance to study her closely."

Sarah stared Jareth with almost the same intensity that he directed at her. She had been called beautiful many times before. Theater people were very extravagant in their praise and she'd had her share of admirers amongst critics as well as her normal social circle. Somehow Jareth's simple assertion carried more weight than any review or compliment she had received before and Sarah wondered again if she was reading more into his words and actions than he intended. She opted not to respond to his comment.

"Two days will not make any difference to in regards to your regular life. I promise to return you home unharmed and unmissed by those who love you," he continued after a moment.

"But what about things here?"

"I am waiting for an associate of mine to bring more information before I go charging off to the castle. He should be here in a few days."

Sarah couldn't help but smile at his choice of words as she pictured this "associate" as some shady mobster with a trench coat and spats. Judging by the company he seemed to be keeping these days it seemed more likely his associate was a field mouse or a water sprite.

"Well I suppose it doesn't make sense to rush off halfcocked, especially after all this time," Sarah said musingly. In truth, the idea of spending a few days here appealed to her very much. She definitely had no intention of letting Jareth know how strongly he affected her, but the temptation to get to know him better was irresistible. "It seems very peaceful and lovely here. Are you sure you have room for me? Or would I be staying somewhere else?"

Jareth's smile contained only a hint of triumph. "There's more than enough room for you here. The exterior of the cottage can be deceptive."

"Yes, I did gather that much already. I hope it is the only thing that's deceptive here," she said pointedly. It would not due to forget his past shenanigans so easily.

"My word is good," he replied in a neutral tone. He got up and moved to a small liquor cabinet. "We can begin in the morning. Now that everything's settled, let's toast your return to the labyrinth."

Sarah heard the pop of a champagne bottle and a moment later Jareth put a glass in her hand. The champagne was excellent and, Sarah recognized, very expensive.

"I've had this before," she said. "I'm curious… many of the things here are so foreign to me, and then others are obviously of my world. The wine at dinner, for one thing, and this champagne. "You come and go between both places as you wish?"

"I can, indeed, although I typically spend most of my time here. Your world has little that I really enjoy."

"But I did see you at Toby's graduation."

"Yes. I like to observe the important events of those who interest me." He paused as if considering his next comment carefully. "I've also been to every opening night in your career."

He seemed to be watching for her response. Sarah was flabbergasted. How many times had Jareth been in the audience watching her while she had been totally oblivious of his existence? She'd been in more than a dozen large scale productions and numerous smaller plays over the years. Her own father had only been to a handful of those performances. Part of her felt as though she should be creeped out by his admission, but she was also quite flattered. She opted not to express either emotion.

"I hope you enjoyed the performances. Some of those early plays I did were pretty awful. You have to take what you get when you're young." They both smiled at that and it broke some of the tension that had existed between them since her arrival. Soon they were talking as naturally as old friends. They spoke mostly of inconsequential things; experiences she'd had in the theater, what it was like living in New York, art works they both admired, the unusual features in the garden around the cottage, and the simple manner in which Jareth was now living. Neither mentioned the circumstances which caused him to alter his lifestyle so drastically, or the fact the he would shortly have to return to the castle.

Sarah began to feel more and more tired, but she realized that this was one of the most pleasant evenings she'd ever had, and she didn't want it to end. However, eventually she noticed Jareth showing slight signs of tiredness or strain and she realized that probably was quite late. As if on cue Gladys inched her way into the room and announced that she had Sarah's room ready.

"I'll show her the way," Jareth told the housekeeper. "You'd best be off to bed as well Gladys."

The little worm smiled and made her way towards a tiny hole in the wall near the fireplace. "Good night t' you both," she said before slipping inside.

They got up and Jareth lead her to the staircase. Sarah glanced at his profile as they ascended side by side. As if sensing her gaze he turned and smiled. It was the most natural and relaxed smile she had received from him.

"I'm glad you're here," he said simply.

"I am too. It was nice getting to know you a bit better."

They reached the second floor and Sarah was surprised to see that the staircase continued up at least another level. Jareth walked towards a door on the right side of the hallway and peeked inside a moment before stepping back so she could enter.

"It looks like Gladys has thought of everything, but if you should need something my room is at the opposite end of this hallway." He gestured with his left hand and Sarah glanced in that direction. The hallways looked impossibly long- even larger than the first floor had been. She looked back up at Jareth and simply nodded in confirmation.

"We can start first thing after breakfast," he said. For a moment he raised his hand as if he was going to touch her cheek again like her had done outside, but he stopped himself before he made contact. "Good night, Sarah. Pleasant dreams."

He was already halfway down the hallways before Sarah was able to wish him a good night as well.


	21. The Many Sides of the Man

Chapter 21 The Many Sides of the Man

Sarah's "Good night," probably went unheard as Jareth beat a hasty retreat towards his own room. She stared after him for a few moments, confused by the way he switched so quickly from hot to cold. Her own reactions were less puzzling. Excitement, arousal, some fear… it was a powerful mix and, in other circumstances, it would have been guaranteed to keep her awake half the night thinking about him. However, she didn't think that would be the case tonight. Sarah smothered a yawn as she turned into the bedroom that had been prepared for her and for the first time felt how truly exhausted she was. The lack of sleep the previous night, three glasses of wine, and the physical and emotional toll of the past two days had finally caught up with her.

Sarah was only marginally aware of her surroundings as she undressed and put on the nightgown that had been left out for her. It was floor length silk, but the material was so fine that it didn't seem to have any weight to it at all. The bedroom had an adjoining bathroom and it was all she could do to relieve herself and wash quickly before falling into bed and into a deep sleep.

Considering he had been the focus of her thoughts for two days now it was hardly surprising that Sarah dreamt about Jareth that night. At first he was the charming host she had encountered tonight; he told her funny stories about the goblins and smiled at her in the candle light. As that image dissolved it was replaced by the Jareth she remembered from before- cold and aloof. He seemed to be silently laughing at her. Sarah's dream self turned away from him in embarrassment, although she had no idea what she'd done to merit his amusement, but when she turned her back she was facing him yet again. He was surrounded by the corpses of goblins and his expression was heartbreakingly sad. He reached down towards one and softly, lovingly, pushed the hair back from its face.

Sarah awoke from the dream feeling as sad as Jareth had looked. She'd never actually seen Jareth show anything like affection to the goblins, but somehow she believed that the image was real; as were the other two sides of him that she'd seem. He could be friendly and charming but also manipulative and condescending. She suspected one could never really be sure where they stood with Jareth. She found that thought oddly depressing but didn't have the chance to dwell on it as she fell back asleep within minutes. If she had any further dreams that night she didn't recall them by morning.

The angle of the sun slanting through her window indicated to Sarah that it was probably quite late by the time she got up. The rumbling in her stomach concurred with that assessment. Sarah splashed her face with cool water and combed her hair into some semblance of order. Now that she was awake she was better able to take in the details of her appearance. The nightgown she wore was a pale mint green color but so lightweight that she could almost see through it. It was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever slept in, and clearly not designed with sleep in mind. Sarah wondered if Jareth had picked this nightgown himself, and what he would think if he saw her in it. Imaging him looking at her dressed like this caused her skin to flush slightly and her nipples to harden.

'Jeez,' Sarah thought, 'I'm worse than a teenager." She couldn't recall the last time she'd had such a strong physical reaction to a man. On the back of the bathroom door was an emerald green robe with mint green trim which she put on and belted tightly. On her way to the restroom she'd noticed that the dress she wore yesterday was gone and there wasn't anything obviously laid out for her so she could either wait around until someone came to fetch her, or she could venture out like this. Her stomach cast its vote loudly so Sarah double checked that the robe covered her completely and ventured out of her room. The upstairs hall was quiet so she quickly made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. It was empty, but the table was set for two and on the counter she found a variety of croissants, pastries, fresh fruit and juice.

Seeing the two place settings she assumed she should wait, but the house was so quiet she was unsure if Jareth was even up yet. As she stood there hesitantly an exterior kitchen door opened and the man himself appeared.

Good morning," Sarah said.

"Ah, good," Jareth said cheerfully. "You're awake." He smiled broadly and gestured for Sarah to take a seat. He brought the food to the table and joined her. "I hope you slept well?"

They made polite conversation while they ate. The easiness and camaraderie that Sarah thought she'd felt last night was absent and she wondered if it had simply been the result of the wine and the sense of intimacy that comes with sitting in front of a fire at night. Sarah kept up her end of the conversation, but while they talked she also studied Jareth carefully. Despite his cheerful demeanor he looked a little drawn and tired and she wondered how much sleep he had gotten the night before. She was about to ask him about it when he suddenly reached across the table and took the hand that she'd placed idly by her now empty plate. He squeezed it gently and stoked his thumb across the backs of her fingers; setting off shivers that radiated up her arm.

"You look lovely this morning," he said with more warmth than he had shown thus far.

Sarah felt herself light up more from the tone and the way he was looking at her than from the compliment itself. She smiled but quickly looked down to make sure she was still demurely covered in emerald green.

"Thank you," she replied. After a moment she continued. "The dress I wore yesterday was gone and I didn't see anything else to wear…" She trailed off, expecting him to understand her meaning. Sarah picked up her glass of orange juice and took a long drink.

"Oh, didn't I mention it last night?" Jareth asked. "I thought for your portrait we'd do a nude."

Sarah's suddenly exhalation sent orange juice splattering all across the table. Her face turned red as she coughed but she quickly got herself under control and looked into Jareth's eyes. For a moment he stared at her with an expression of total seriousness, but he couldn't hold it for long. He burst out laughing, but it was not a cold or unpleasant laugh.

"I'm sorry," he said once his laughter had been reduced to chuckles. "It was just too easy. You're so much fun to tease. Don't worry. There's a selection of dresses waiting for you in your room whenever you're ready. I thought you'd like to pick what you'd want to be painted in." He was still smiling when he finished speaking.

Sarah felt herself her lips twitching but did her best to control it as she stood up. She held her head high as she looked down at him sitting in his chair. "You've got orange juice on your shirt," she said and turned to flee into the living room. Despite her attempt to appear impassive Jareth could hear her laughter as she made her way to the stairs.


	22. Mountains of Gold

Chapter 22 Mountains of Gold

The clothes Jareth had procured for her turned out to be an assortment of exquisite dresses in bold colors. Since she'd arrived every piece of clothing she'd been given seemed like it was fit for a princess, and these were no exception. Sarah decided that she'd play along with the fantasy and chose a midnight blue dress made of a flow-y organza. The material was cool enough to be comfortable while the dark color contrasted well with her pale skin and deep brown hair. She swept her hair into a regal style but kept her makeup relatively simple. Satisfied that her appearance was sufficiently dramatic for a portrait, she went back downstairs in search of Jareth.

He was leaning against one of the living room walls and appeared to be lost in thought. Sarah saw him close his eyes for a moment and pinch the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger- a classic sign of a headache or mental distress. She was momentarily filled with concern, but when he opened his eyes and turned to her his expression of masculine appreciation made her forget it. She smiled back at him and walked forward until she stood only a few steps away.

Jareth studied her from top to bottom. In other circumstances she might have found his appraisal rude or inappropriate, but he wasn't ogling her so much as assessing her artistically. His words confirmed as much. "An excellent choice. You look stunning. I know exactly where I want to paint you."

"Do you have a studio in the house?" Sarah asked.

"The third floor is my studio," he replied. "However, I prefer to be outside, even for portraits." As he spoke he led her out through the kitchen door. His easel and painting supplies were leaning against the wall and he picked them up and began circling the yard.

"The views are quite inspiring," Sarah said. She saw again the floating fist pond and the tropical flowers. Jareth said nothing, only smiled in agreement.

They'd walked just a few steps out of the door when the two terriers she'd seen yesterday came charging towards them at full speed. They both let out the occasional excited yip but their tails were wagging a mile a minute. Sarah stopped to pet them as they pranced around her feet. Jareth juggled his load of painting paraphernalia all to one hand and used the other to reach into his pocket and extract two treats. The dogs instantly sat on their hind legs and raised their front paws in the perfect 'I'm so cute when I beg' position. Sarah couldn't help but laugh.

"They're adorable! What are their names?"

"Korben and Lee Lou," he replied. The dogs made quick work of their snacks and then went back to chasing each other around the yard; although they made sure to stop near Sarah regularly for some scratches behind the ears. She and Jareth continued on their way towards the back of the house and whatever place Jareth had in mind for the setting. As they rounded the corner Sarah caught her breath in wonder. They were facing the meadows she'd seen yesterday, but today there was no haze to obscure the mountains in the background. The morning sun shone off the slopes so brightly it created an aura around stone.

"They're gold!" she said in surprise.

Sarah has paused but Jareth had continued to walk on. He still heard her and Sarah hurried her pace so she could catch his response. "They're iron pyrite actually," he explained. "It's commonly called 'fool's gold' but I dislike that name. Just because something is not valuable it doesn't mean it is foolish to find it beautiful."

"It's unbelievably beautiful."

"So you won't object if we use the mountains as the background for your portrait?"

"Perfect," she replied. "But you're the artist so I would defer to you either way."

"You're very gracious," he said and set down his gear. "Now, let's see… where is it…" This second part seemed to be to himself as he looked around the ground for something. Sarah couldn't see anything but grass and the occasional wild flower that had migrated from the field and taken root in the lush grass.

"Ah!" Jareth had clearly found what he was looking for. Sarah looked but all she saw was a small rock. He gestured for her to take a step back and then stepped on it. Sarah felt the ground begin to shake slightly, like a low level earthquake. After a moment a section of the lawn split open and some sort of stone structure slowly arose. When it was completely above ground the vibration stopped and Sarah could see that it was a small marble gazebo that looked so natural and perfectly placed that it seemed as though it had been there all along.

"Wow," was all she could come up with to say. It was beautiful. The marble was white with veins of pale grey and gold running through it. The ornately carved 'roof' was not solid but allowed dappled sun to shine on the slim columns and the bench inside. As Sarah looked closer she could see it wasn't a bench exactly, but something like a cross between a chaise lounge and a daybed. The base was marble and seemed to be carved in one continuous piece with the rest of the gazebo. It was loaded with grey and gold pillows and cushions to make it seem inviting and comfortable. Two people could easily recline on it at the same time making it seem like an ideal location for a lover's tryst. As that thought crossed Sarah's mind she stole a glance over at Jareth, but he was busy setting up his easel. Once he was done he lent her a hand as she climbed the two steps up to the platform where the seat was position.

"I'd like you to lounge with your feet up and facing that direction," he said with a gesture, "But keep your body positioned so you're still looking at me. You'll want to make sure you're comfortable and can hold the position for some time."

Although she'd never sat for a portrait, Sarah had done more than a few photo shoots and knew how to arrange herself artfully. She was half reclining and had her skirt carefully smoothed out to keep the lines clean and long. Jareth made a few more tweaks to the pillows before stepping back to look at the whole picture.

"Perfect," he said. "Absolutely perfect."

Sarah wasn't sure if he meant her or the view, but either way his words made her heart beat a little bit faster. She schooled her features to hide her emotions and attempted to project a serene image so he would not see how easily he could throw her into turmoil. When she looked up at Jareth he was in professional artist mode so she did her best to relax and remain still while he began to sketch.

At first they were both quiet. Jareth had a sketch pad and made several rapid outlines and sketches in the early morning sunlight. Sarah took advantage of the fact that she was posed to look directly at him and studied him while he concentrated. Everything about his face fascinated her. The shorter hairstyle suited him, although it still clearly did not want to be tamed and stood up in places in a wild sort of way. He was extremely good looking but not the most handsome man Sarah had ever seen. Still, something about his face appealed to her more than any other man's. And then those eyes…

Jareth caught her staring when he glanced up and she was immediately mesmerized by his gorgeous, different colored eyes. _Heterochromia_, she believed it was called. Whatever the name of it, Jareth no doubt knew the effect it had on people. He smiled at her; a slow sexy smile that made Sarah forget to breathe for a moment. He held her gaze a few second longer before looking back down and continuing to draw. With their eyes no longer locked together two things happened simultaneously to Sarah. The first was that she inhaled suddenly and began to breathe again. The second was that she was hit with a realization which jolted her physically.

Sarah wasn't lusting after Jareth, she realized. She was in love with him.


	23. In the Morning Light

Chapter 23 In the Morning Light

'That can't be right,' Sarah thought. 'I can't be in love with Jareth.' It had been less than 24 hours since she'd met him again. A couple of nice meals and one evening of wonderful conversation isn't enough to make you fall in love with someone! Sarah thought about Mark- something she'd neglected to do much of since first encountering Hoggle in her bedroom. She'd been dating Mark for a year now and, while she loved him and told him as much at the appropriate times, she'd never been certain she was _in love_ with him. In fact, Sarah couldn't recall any relationship she'd had where she'd felt completely overwhelmed by her emotions. Well, she was overwhelmed now.

Sarah's expression must have altered as her mind reeled because when Jareth looked up next he commented on her slight frown. She schooled her features back into serene lines but was unable to will her mind to slow down. Fortunately, not long after her realization Sarah was distracted by the arrival of refreshments.

Under other circumstances Sarah would have found it odd to see how their lemonade was delivered, but here, with Jareth, it was par for the course. One of the terriers, Korben she thought, came walking up to them in a very un-terrier like fashion- slowly and carefully-, with a tray levitating behind him. When he got closer Sarah could see that Gladys was actually riding on the small dog's back and holding a thread which attached to the tray. As odd as the sight was, at least it meant the ice wasn't melted in their drinks. Had Gladys tried to bring it out herself it would not have arrived before nightfall.

"Ah, excellent timing, Gladys," Jareth said. "I was just thinking that a break might be nice. He filled two glasses from the pitcher and carried one up to Sarah. She sat up and made room for him on the chaise. "You can leave the tray," he said as a means of dismissal. Gladys smiled and, without any signal that Sarah could see, directed the dog to turn and leave.

Sarah took a long drink from the glass Jareth had handed her before settling back into a comfortable position. Part of her was feeling so shy that she didn't even want to look at him for fear that he'd read her emotions in her eyes, but that part of her was the lesser half of her character. Sarah wasn't some blushing teenager to be flustered by her first crush. She was a mature and experienced woman so she kept her head up and looked him in the eyes. That was probably a mistake if she meant to keep a cool head.

Jareth met and held her eyes for a moment and she almost thought he could read her mind, but then he looked away and pointed towards the mountains behind them. "I love the way the sun reflects off the mountains in the morning. It gives everything a sort of golden glow that only happens before noon."

"Mornings of gold," Sarah said wonderingly.

Jareth shot her an assessing look for a moment but did not comment on the fact that she was quoting his own words back to her after almost 20 years. "If you feel like you can sit still for a while yet we can get a few more hours in before the light changes. I'd like to get the colors worked out before lunch."

"That's no problem," she replied. "It's so lovely here I could sit all day and just enjoy the views and the nice weather."

Jareth nodded. "Yes, it is rather idyllic." He sighed slightly. "I find I much prefer it to the palace."

Sarah felt a twinge of guilt at that comment and Jareth evidently saw it because he smiled. "But then again I was happy there once. Perhaps I will be in the future as well.- at least until my successor is ready."

"You're successor? You're going to abdicate?" Sarah looked surprised.

Jareth winced slightly and Sarah got the impression that he hadn't meant to say anything about the future. Her impression was confirmed when he made a noncommittal response and changed the subject. They chatted for several more minutes about unimportant things. Once their glasses were empty Jareth got up and went back to his easel. He swapped out his sketchpad for a canvas and then proceeded to look through his drawings while Sarah settled herself back into her pose. After a minute or two he seemed satisfied and began to make an outline on the canvas.

He seemed to be less careful with this sketch- Sarah assumed because he was going to be covering the outline with paint- and as a result he did not remain silent like he'd been before. Instead, he proceeded to ask her questions about her current play. Sarah answered his queries and rattled off a few amusing stories about her costars and various incidents that had occurred during rehearsals. Each time Jareth laughed she felt as though a light bulb had turned on inside of her until she was absolutely glowing. Even when he switched from his pencil to paints Jareth was able to keep up his end of the conversation for most of the remainder of the morning, but as noon approached he became more and more distracted.

Sarah realized he was racing to get as much done as possible before the sun shifted too far west. She could tell when midday arrived because suddenly the whole world looked different. It wasn't until it was gone that Sarah realized just how much of a golden glow there really had been. The house and the gardens were still beautiful, of course, but Jareth was right about the way the morning light seemed to be more magical than any other time of the day.

"That's it for this morning then," Jareth said. "You can relax."

Sarah sat up and stretched, but her muscles were only slightly sore from the long period of inactivity. She smiled at Jareth and then stood and walked towards him. "Can I see it?" she asked while glancing towards the canvas.

"Certainly not," came his reply. He took a cloth and placed it over the painting before picking up his sketchbook and handing it to her. "But if you wish you can look through these." Instead of letting her look he took her arm and gently led her back to the house. Lunch was waiting for them when they got there, but Gladys and Clive were nowhere in sight. Sarah realized she was starving so she reluctantly set the book aside while they ate a simple but delicious fruit salad, salmon and steamed vegetables.

Neither of them spoke much during the meal, but it was a companionable silence. When the food was gone Jareth sat back looking content, but very tired. "I hope you won't think it rude of me, but I think I need to rest for a short while," he said.

"Of course not. Please don't worry about me. You do look as though you could use it." Sarah tried to put compassion into her words in case he found it offensive to be told he looked tired. In the language of the theater 'tired' mean 'old' and she knew how touchy people could be.

Jareth just smiled. "You'll be all right on your own for a while?"

"Absolutely," she replied and tapped the sketch book. "It'll give me a chance to look through these."

"Very well," he said as he got up from the table. At the door he turned to look back at her with the first hint of insecurity that she'd ever seen him display. "Just don't judge me too harshly based on what's in there."

Sarah smiled in an attempt to reassure him. "I've already seen some of your paintings and I know you're talented. I'm sure these will be amazing too."

He still looked slightly uneasy but Jareth nodded anyway. "I'll see you in an hour or two. In the meantime, make yourself at home here." And then he was gone.


	24. Can I See Your Etchings?

Chapter 24 Can I See Your Etchings?

Sarah sat in one of the plush armchairs in the living room and examined the sketch book. It was large- not in dimensions, but in the number of pages. She'd watched Jareth as he drew this morning and knew that he'd started her sketches somewhere in the middle so the book contained more than just the drawings he'd done of her. She was filled with a strong sense of anticipation which she savored for a moment before flipping to the first page. Her newfound emotions made her extremely curious to get a glimpse of this more private side of Jareth.

The first ten or so pages had drawings of various trees, flowers and other inanimate objects from the house or garden. They were expertly done and looked almost real, but Sarah did not linger over them for very long because they told her nothing about the man except that he was, indeed, very skilled. Soon she found what she was hoping to see: sketches of Clive and Gladys as well as the two terriers Korben and Lee Loo. These she studied more carefully. Sarah didn't think these images were as technically perfect or exact as the previous ones, but they were so full of life and emotion that she couldn't help but stare.

She was studying an image of the dogs sleeping on the rug by the hearth. Sarah glanced up for her chair and realized Jareth must have been sitting exactly where she was now when he drew it. She found that thought oddly warming. Looking back down at the paper in front of her Sarah couldn't help but notice how alive the dogs looked. They did not move on the page like the paintings had done but simply seemed to radiate life and vitality. Eventually Sarah realized that is wasn't anything specific about the dogs themselves, but rather the care that was taken to make their innocent little souls shine through. Sarah looked over a few more sketches of them and smiled when she realized just how much Jareth must love these little animals. It was reflected on in each sketch and doodle, even the ones that were unfinished or that showed the dogs being mischievous.

Sarah realized she had a grin on her face as she continued to page through, but when she found the first drawing of herself it startled the expression right off her face. It was not one of the drawings from this morning- she wasn't far enough into the book to have reached those yet. It was a drawing of her in an elaborate Elizabethan costume which she recognized from a play she'd done a few years ago. Jareth had captured the details perfectly from the ruff- or frilled collar- around her throat, all the way down to the lace trim at the bottom of the wide, carefully arranged skirt. Although the stage version of the outfit had been designed for quick changes, Sarah still remembered how uncomfortable and bulky it had been. In Jareth's drawing of her, the outfit looked regal. 'No,' Sarah silently corrected herself. 'I look regal.' The clothes helped, but Sarah realized that it was the way Jareth had drawn her that made her look impressive. Her posture, the pose, the way she held her head so high; these things gave her the appearance of a queen. The expression on her face added to the effect, for she stared out at an unseen audience with the cool, unsmiling face of a serious monarch, but somehow Jareth had managed to catch the twinkle in her eyes with his clever pencil lines. It was as if he could see the way Sarah had been laughing on the inside every time she pranced around the stage in all her pompous finery. She felt as though he really saw her through the persona she projected. For a moment she felt like a 15 year old again, for he'd been able to see right through her then too.

When Sarah flipped the page to see another drawing of herself she was filled with so much nervous energy that she couldn't stay put. She got up and made her way upstairs to her bedroom. She didn't want to crush the beautiful dress, although thus far it had proven to be amazingly resilient- hurray for magic wrinkle protection- so she took it off and hung it up carefully. She kept on the matching midnight blue strapless bra and lace panties and grabbed the emerald robe to cover herself before flopping onto the bed so she could continue to look through Jareth's work. Gardens, dogs, worms, more pictures of herself… Perhaps the most startling of all was when she came across a series of sketches of Toby at various ages and stages of life. She loved the pictures of him as a baby. In some he was wearing his little striped onesie and was playing with small furry goblins. The book was too new for Jareth to have drawn them at the time Toby was really here, but if he had done them from memory it proved he had an exceptional ability to recall detail. Although many babies looked alike, these were unmistakably her little brother. Like many of the other pictures, these were drawn in such a way that it was obvious the artist had a strong feeling of affection for the models. It was not just Toby, but also the goblins that Jareth seemed to admire.

By the time Sarah made it to the drawings Jareth had done this morning she was already feeling a little overwhelmed by what she had seen. She knew Jareth was talented, but she had not expected such emotional depth from his work. In addition, the number of sketches of her and Toby supported his claim that he'd been keeping an eye on them much more forcefully than mere words. To hear him say he had been at her opening night performances were not as powerful as to see drawing after drawing of her and know that he'd been there, studying her, while she'd been oblivious. If she had known- if she had seen him again- would things have been different? Sarah was momentarily lost in that thought, but when she looked back down her eyes focused on the image in front of her. It was from this morning, but instead of the serene expression she'd been attempting to keep on her face the whole time, she looked surprised and slightly excited. Sarah blushed when she realized Jareth had witnessed her expression at the exact moment when she'd realized she was in love with him.

In that first second, before she'd begun to question herself, she'd worn an expression of wonder at the discovery which Jareth had captured perfectly. The expression must have been fleeting because almost immediately she'd shifted from surprise to confusion and Jareth had commented on her look of frowning concentration. She wondered if he somehow knew what had caused those expressions to chase across her face in those few moments.

Sarah flipped through the last few sketches of herself. She was seeing them, but not really absorbing them. When she had looked at them all she got up and paced for a few minutes while her mind swirled around in a muddle of confused emotions. There was so much more to Jareth than she had expected. His drawings showed a greater range of feeling than she had seen his display before, and she felt privileged that he had allowed her to look. It felt like seeing into his soul. Sarah realized how melodramatic that thought was but, at the same time, it was accurate. Everything she'd seen in the sketchbook just made her love Jareth that much more.

It had been a little over an hour since Jareth had gone to rest, but Sarah was not quite ready to face him yet. She was also too emotionally charged to be able to stay in her room. She opened the door and peeked into the empty hallway before slipping out and making her way over to the staircase. Instead of going down into the living room she turned and began to climb up. Jareth had said the third floor was his studio and Sarah felt a strong urge to see it now.

At the top of the stairs she found herself in a hallway with a window at each end and a door directly in front of her. She assumed that led into the actual studio itself, but she did not open it. Along both walls were hung a variety of paintings and she stopped to look at those first. She recognized a few of them as being based on some of the sketches she had looked through. When she paused in front of them long enough the paintings began to move slightly, like the ones she had seen before. They reminded her of an animated gif- designed to portray a single action or a particular emotion over and over. She studied them all carefully, but she was slightly distracted by the sight of a chair at the end of the hallway. It sat facing what was clearly the largest painting on display. Sarah's curiosity was piqued, but she waited until she had viewed all the other paintings before approaching that one. When she finally did look, she was glad to have a chair nearby.

Sarah sat down heavily and stared. The painting depicted a lavish and elaborate ballroom scene which she immediately recognized. Dozens of masked figures stood, motionless at first, but after a moment they began to spin and twirl to the silent music. Sarah searched the painting for two figures that she knew would be there, but at first she could not see anything but the beautiful dancers. Then, suddenly, the dancers parted and right in the middle of the painting she and Jareth appeared. She wore a gorgeous white gown which skirted the border between childlike and womanly. Jareth wore an elaborate costume with sequins that dazzled the eyes. He held her in his arms but they had not yet begun to dance. His face was in profile so she could not clearly read his expression as he looked down at her, but Sarah's adolescent face was fully exposed.

Longing. A hint of fear, confusion, and naked longing. Sarah had been too naïve to attempt to hide her emotions in her youth and even now as an adult she was startled to see the evidence of Jareth's effect on her. For all her posturing and pretend toughness, Jareth had obviously known how she'd felt about him then. He'd known before Sarah herself had even understood her feelings.

'Did he still know?' she wondered. Sarah had been working hard to conceal her emotional discovery and turmoil from Jareth since she'd arrived, but was it all for naught? She was older now and more adept at covering her emotions, but Jareth had proven himself capable of seeing beyond what others could see. His paintings proved that. It was quite possible that he already knew Sarah was in love with him- and always had been if she was honest with herself. No man she'd dated had ever fully captured her heart because it had already been taken.

The idea that Jareth was already aware of her emotions was disconcerting, but after sitting there a few minutes worrying Sarah let her fear go. Why was she hiding it? What did she have to gain by not being honest with him, or with herself? She stood up and made her way back down the stairs to the second floor. To the right was her room; to the left was Jareth's. She stood for a moment listening, but did not hear any sounds in the cottage and she believed Jareth had not yet gotten up. She turned to the left and quietly made her way to his door. She hesitated for a moment but then resolutely raised her fist and knocked.

After a minute or so Jareth opened the door. He looked slightly drowsy and disheveled. His black leather pants molded his lower body and left most of his surprisingly muscular abdomen exposed. He wore a billowy white shirt with ruffled cuffs but it hung open. Sarah guessed he had shrugged it on when he heard the knock. His feet and hands were bare. She stood there at the threshold and just stared at him for a long moment, taking in all the details of his appearance. He was so beautiful!

"Sarah?" he asked. His expression had changed to one of confusion.

She said nothing. Instead, Sarah stepped through the doorway and reached out. Her hands found his shoulders and she gripped them firmly while she stood on her toes and leaned into his warm, half naked body. Before he had a chance to say anything else, either in protest or encouragement, she kissed him.


	25. On Fire

Chapter 25 On Fire

If Sarah thought she was going to surprise him, she was wrong. It was she who was surprised. Shocked even. Jareth was still for a split second when she first pressed her lips to his, but the connection caused a current of electricity to flow through her body that was so strong she knew he felt it too. Although she had initiated this embrace, she was not in control for long.

So quickly that she didn't even realize what happened Jareth had swung the bedroom door shut behind her. He pulled her tighter against his body and slowly took one, two steps forward- pushing her backwards- until she was leaning against the door. Jareth's lips moved against hers urgently. His kiss was so passionate that it bordered on violent and she knew her lips would be swollen. One of Jareth's hands was at the small of her back; it pressed her forward against his hips and thighs and ignited a fire within her which burned so instantly and so hotly it almost hurt. His other hand had traveled up from her back to tangle in her hair, destroying the updo she'd created for her portrait. He cradled her head, using his hand to prevent the back of her skull from cracking into the door as he pushed her against it and held her there with the length of his own body. Sarah lost any ability to think.

Although he seemed determined to almost crush her between his body and the door, Sarah felt every inch of her own body straining to somehow get closer to him. Her hands slid away from his shoulders and found their way inside his shirt. She lightly ran her fingers up his sides, feeling the rapid movement of his ribs as he breathed in and out and enjoying the slight shiver that ran through him from her touch. She reached around his sides and gently dragged her nails along his shoulder blades as she raised her hands to again grasp his shoulders. This time she was not holding him to prevent him from stepping away, but pulling him towards her with every ounce of strength she possessed.

Their lips moved together hungrily. Sarah could not tell which of them was more affected by the intensity of their bodies' reactions. She was not some fragile waif, but she honestly felt as though she might have fainted if Jareth had not been holding her up. His body was trembling in unison with hers and she could feel the bulge of his erection pressing against her as he slowly, unconsciously, rubbed his pelvis against her. Without any hesitation Sarah shifted so her legs were parted and then groaned when Jareth immediately pressed himself into the gap she had created.

Her groan, which had been captured by his lips, seemed to knock some sense into Jareth and he paused in his kisses. He removed his hands from her body but did not step away. Instead, he braced his hands against the door, effectively caging her in between his arms. He pulled his head back slightly and looked into Sarah's eyes. Both of them were breathing harshly and Sarah's eyelids felt so heavy with passion that she could barely lift them to look at him. When she did her meet his eyes her own were filled with a desperate longing.

When she'd reached out and kissed him she'd had no idea she would set off this kind of fire. Every inch of her body burned with need and, despite the fact that Jareth's skin was hot to the touch, she knew that it was only by being closer to him that she could put out the flames inside her. She could see from his expression that he felt the same, so Sarah as confused by his decision to stop.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

His simple question completely floored her. Was she sure? Sarah didn't think it could be any more obvious what her body wanted. She looked into his eyes, attempting to use them to express all that she was feeling. What she saw in his eyes was unexpected. There was passion of course; no doubt a reflection of her own intense longing. But she also saw a hint of vulnerability, a slight sign of doubt. Could he really believe there was any part of her not fully committed to this course of action that she had started? He was offering her the chance to back off before things went too far. The look in his eyes indicated that he honestly believed she might change her mind.

Sarah didn't know if she could properly explain to him what was in her heart. There were no words to adequately describe how much she wanted, no needed, him. The feelings were so strong she could not fully separate the physical from the emotional. She thought about simply kissing him but knew she needed to at least attempt to find the words to tell him everything she was feeling. Considering all the love scenes she'd acted out on stage it should have been easier to find the right words. She should be able to come up with something eloquent and beautiful to say but she was drawing a blank. Only one thought kept repeating in her mind so she blurted it out without any ado or finesse.

"I love you."

Her eyes went a little wide at the bluntness of her statement, but evidently it was the correct thing to say. A look of incredulity passed across Jareth's features, followed by a smile of pure happiness, and then he was kissing her again. His hands moved back down to her body and one slipped to the tie that held her robe. In one deft movement he undid the knot and slid the robe open. He was still pressed so tightly against her that the fabric did not fall away completely, but it did allow his hands access to her bare flesh. Everywhere he touched he raised gooseflesh on her overly sensitized skin. Every place that their bodies met felt as though she was touching an electric current and it sizzled through her and made her feel as though she was alive for the very first time.

After a minute or two of standing there lost in a haze of passion Jareth stepped back just enough to wrap his arms fully around her. With a slight laugh that sounded like triumph he picked her up and carried her over to the bed. He didn't need to use any magic, but her robe mysterious disappeared from around her body as he carried her. She didn't know if he took it off or if she did; all she knew was that she was incredibly relieved to be rid of it. Sarah knew that neither one of them was capable of being gentle at this point, and this was confirmed when he unceremoniously dropped her onto his bed and immediately covered her body with his own. She welcomed his weight on top of her and the fierceness of the kiss he bestowed upon her. Her hands were trembling slightly but still strong enough to wrestle his shirt off and toss it aside. That was better, but she still felt as though she needed more skin to skin contact. She slowly ran her hands along his body, loving the play of his muscles under her curious fingers, until she had worked her hands in between their bodies. She was reaching for the clasp on his tight leather pants when he broke off his kisses and stopped her.

"Not yet," he said. He reached down and grabbed first one hand, then the other, and brought them over her head. He extended her arms straight above her head and then slowly dragged his fingers down over her arms until he was holding her biceps. Jareth wasn't really restraining her, but Sarah complied with his actions and stretched herself out, arching her back and neck so that she was completely exposed and vulnerable to him. Jareth rested his weight on his elbows, kept his hands on her arms, and lowered his head to kiss the side of her neck. Sarah's sigh of pleasure contained equal parts satisfaction and anticipation. She couldn't believe how right this felt.

Jareth continued to nuzzle her neck, occasionally nipping gently at the tender skin. She was content to let him linger for a while, but soon she needed more. Without being aware of it Sarah had been rotating her hips in little circles so she could rub her sensitive core against his body. When he returned his attention to her mouth for another wet, heart stopping kiss her movements became more frantic. She broke free from his grasp and ran her hands through his hair- back and forth twice before she gripped it and held him still. Sarah was finished with being passive. She took control of the kiss and darted her tongue into his mouth for a moment of play before using his hair to pull his head back. She trailed kisses along his jaw, enjoying the slight hint of stubble that grew there. Sarah had never pictured Jareth doing anything as mundane as shaving, but obviously he had to do so. She rubbed her cheek against his; enjoying this little sign of his humanity.

Although Jareth let her hold his head immobile, his hands did not stay still. He tangled his left hand in her hair and remained braced on that elbow, but allowed his right hand to roam. His eyes were closed in concentration but he used his fingers to explore the side of her neck, her collarbone and ever so slowly and carefully, the curve at the top of her breasts. No doubt he could feel her heart racing under his light touch. When, at long last his hand settled over her breast through the thin material of the bra the sensation caused Sarah's whole body to jerk in pleasure and she inadvertently pulled Jareth's hair before she had the sense to let go. He took advantage of her lapse to lower his head and kiss her again while he also maneuvered his hand under the cup of her bra. She managed to get her hand between them again and quickly unhooked the clasp of his pants. She slid her hand down between the leather and his underwear and cupped him through the thin material. Jareth moaned and pressed the large hot bulge against her hand.

Sarah was more than ready for him and she sensed his control was slipping as well. In reality it could not have been more than a dozen or so minutes since she'd knocked on door, but the pressure had built up so quickly between them that she felt as though they'd been dancing around this moment forever. She broke away from his lips and rasped out in a voice she barely recognized as her own, "Please! Now, please." She was incapable for forming any other words.

She was sure he was ready to remove the last bits of their clothing and finally give her what she needed, but instead of doing so he stopped moving and buried his face in the pillow next to her head. He lay like that for a moment, unmoving, and then she felt his body heave in a giant sigh and he rolled away from her. Sarah immediately felt cold and confused. She felt as though her body might float away without his weight to hold her down.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I can't Sarah. There are things about me that you don't know. Things that might change how you feel about me."

"But I know how I feel about you," she replied. She reached out to trail a hand along his chest. He was breathing hard and had a slight sheen of sweat over his whole body. "I love you. I love you and I want you so desperately. You know that. And I know you want me too."

Jareth shifted into a half reclining position so that he was directly over her and could look down into Sarah's face. She lay back against the pillows and waited for him to move or speak.

"Sarah, I want you more than anything in the world. I've waited decades for you to come back into my life and tell me that you love me. I've loved you for so long it feels as though you're a part of my very body and soul."

His words filled her with joy and Sarah placed her hand on his heart and smiled. Jareth covered her hand with his own and held it still while he continued. "There's nothing I'd like more than to plunge inside of you right now and lose myself completely. Everything about you is more amazing than I dreamed it would be. I want you so much I can barely think straight. That's why I had to stop now, while I can still think. I can't allow myself to lose control like that. Not now, not yet. "He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "And we really do need to talk."


	26. Explanations

Chapter 26 Explanations

Sarah wasn't exactly in the mood to listen, but the seriousness of Jareth's expression convinced her that he was not going to be deterred. He stood up and began to pace around a bit as if trying to work off some of the excess energy that had built up inside them both. She sat up in the middle of the bed and grabbed the edge of the blanket. Now that she was paying attention she noticed that the bed was still made so if Jareth had been napping he hadn't been doing so under the covers. She shimmied a bit until she had enough blanket free to wrap around her rapidly cooling body.

"Okay," she said. "But if you actually expect me to listen then you need to cover yourself up a bit better as well." She looked him over pointedly. Jareth's leather pants were unbuttoned and hung very low on his hips and his chest was bare.

He smiled slightly at her comment and grabbed a robe that had been flung over a chair next to the bed. When he put it on Sarah had to smother a slight laugh. It was burgundy satin and floor length, which was not so very unusual; but it had a stiff collar which extended higher than his ears and came to six points in a sort of halo around his head. At the tip of each point a black teardrop jewel dangled and threw off little flashes of light. It was such a "Jareth" thing to wear that just looking at him made Sarah feel less nervous. She refrained from commenting and just looked up at him expectantly.

Now that he had her attention Jareth seemed at a loss as to where to begin. He paced up and down a few more times then stopped and sat on the bed next to Sarah. He looked even more tired and concerned than before. She reached out and squeezed his hand encouragingly.

"Okay. There are two things we need to discuss really and… well, I'll start with the easier part. The reason I can't, uh, _lose my focus_ right now has to do with my ability to return you to your proper place and time when you need to go home."

That was not what Sarah had been expecting to hear. "Ummm, okay?"

"I can't actually turn back time. That would take more magic than any one person or creatures possesses. It's impossible."

Sarah sat up straighter, alarmed. "You mean my family thinks I've been missing for days? Oh my god, they're probably freaking out!"

"No, no. They won't have missed you yet. I promised I'd return you home around the same time you left. It won't be more than a few hours difference." Sarah sighed in relief but said nothing so Jareth continued. "I hadn't expected things to progress this far between us this fast. I thought that after we traveled to the castle I would declare myself to you and then send you home to think things over while I got everything settled. That would allow the timeline to catch up."

"What do you mean, catch up?"

"Well, I may not be capable of going back in time, but what I can do is slow it down. It is tremendously difficult, but I can also the flow of time in your world so that only a few minutes pass there for every hour that passes here. So you can be here for days but only a few hours will pass there."

"You're kidding! You can do that?"

"You've seen it before. The first time you were here I did the same thing, although it wasn't as dramatic of a difference then. Now it is taking almost all of my focus and energy to maintain it."

"Is that why you look a little… strained?"

"That's a polite way of putting it," he said with a small smile. "Yes, it takes some effort. I have not slept since you first stepped into this realm. If I were to break my concentration and events would speed up exponentially until they caught up to where they are supposed to be."

Sarah shook her head as a sign of confusion. "So what then, are you telling me that everything in my family's house is moving in slow motion? Or is it the whole town? Won't people notice?"

"They would have- if it worked like that- but it's not possible to simply slow down time in a single area. The process is global."

Sarah felt her jaw drop. "Global? As in the entire world is basically paused right now?"

"Essentially, yes. But paused is inaccurate."

She was stunned. If Jareth was capable of such a thing then he was more powerful than she could possibly have imagined. Was he omnipotent? The thought was terrifying. "How is that possible?" she asked. Jareth must have heard the hint of fear in her voice.

"How familiar are you with advanced physics concepts?" Sarah gave him a blank look. "What about general relativity and time dilation?" She continued to stare. "Well," he said before launching into an explanation of how gravity can affect spacetime and how physicists were only beginning to understand the relationship between speed, gravity and time. After a minute or two Sarah put her hand up to stop him.

"Okay, its magic," she said. "Magic that requires all your concentration."

"Almost all." Jareth smiled and touched her face. "I can spare some for other things. You'd be surprised how much you can accomplish when you understand how the universe works. I just can't perform any other complex magic."

"Or sleep, or make love to me," she pointed out.

Jareth leaned over and kissed her very slowly and deeply on the lips until Sarah lost her ability to think straight. "I would call that very complex magic," he said with a smile. "But yes, you're correct. I cannot do either of those things because I must always remain consciously aware of my grip on the spell or else time will, quite literally, get away from me."

Sarah leaned against Jareth and he wrapped his arm around her. She sat there for a few minutes enjoying his warmth while she processed everything he'd told her. Half the men she'd dated wouldn't even open the car door for her and Jareth had slowed time almost to a standstill so he could spend a few days in her company without her family worrying about her. His methods were strange and extreme, but they were also intensely gratifying. Sarah sat up with a start when another thought occurred to her.

"You must be exhausted! How can you go such a long time without sleep? I should go back so you can stop the spell. It's too much for you to do."

"I don't want you to leave just yet," he replied. "I can manage for a bit longer. I may not sleep but I mediate. That helps. I don't normally sleep that much anyway. I want you to be with me when I take back the castle." This last part was said firmly. "I need you by my side Sarah."

Sarah touched his face gently. "But I don't want you to suffer. If you want me to go with you then we should leave right away." She made a movement to get up but Jareth pulled her back into the circle of his arm.

"No, not yet. I agree that we might have to speed things along a bit. You've thrown my plan out the window," he smiled as he said this. "I thought if you saw me as the big hero, going back to the castle and setting things to right that it might help you to vieo me in a better light. I know your first impression of me was not the best and I didn't think you could love me considering how I acted towards you in the past."

"Yes, you were a bit nasty at time," she mused. "Why is that?"

"You were fifteen years old. You can't even imagine how long I've waited to find someone to love and when she finally comes into my life she's _fifteen_?! I was angry that I couldn't have you. I knew I had to wait until you were ready and that you might meet someone else before I had the chance to be with you. It was a difficult time for me."

"So why didn't you reveal yourself to me before now?"

"It wasn't the right time. Everything you've experienced, every day of your life has changed you, made you grow into the woman you are now. I wasn't sure if you'd ever love me, but I knew I couldn't force you to do so; and I couldn't push you until you were ready."

Again Sarah was touched by his unexpected thoughtfulness. She could measure the amount of time she'd known she was in love with Jareth in hours and it filled her with impatience to be with him, but he'd waited years and years for her. Her heart swelled painfully in her chest.

"But wait," she said in confusion. "You thought telling me this might make me love you less? That's crazy. I'm a little freaked out by the magic time slowing thing, but really it only makes me love you more that you would do so much to be with me."

Jareth smiled but also sighed. "No, that's not what I was referring to. It's just that it was easier to explain that part first. The second thing I want to talk to you about is a bit more complicated."

"More complicated than magic and advanced physics being used to slow time on a global scale?" Sarah asked. She hadn't understood ninety percent of what Jareth had already told her so she was concerned about what could possibly be more complicated.

"much more," he confirmed. "I need to tell you about myself, Sarah. My history. You're probably not going to like it. It's not a pretty story."

Jareth's tone was quiet but ominous. It made Sarah shiver a bit. Her hormones were still riding the swell of lust and her newfound love for Jareth burned brightly inside her. It seemed doubtful that anything he said would change how she felt, but his words sent a shiver through her nonetheless.

"Okay," she said. "I'm listening."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Note to readers: First of all, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has commented or followed my story so far. It really gives me a genuine thrill each time I see that someone has liked it. I will be continuing the story after a short break to work on an original writing project of mine. When I pick this up again I intend to tell the remainder of the story from Jareth's perspective so it may be a bit different. I've always intended for this to be a novel length project and Jareth just really seems to have more to tell us during the last part of the tale.


	27. History

Chapter 27 History

Jareth's POV

Jareth looked down into Sarah's eyes as she sat, patiently waiting for him to continue. The blanket she had wrapped around herself did not fully cover her body and his eyes were drawn to the smooth firm skin where it was exposed to his gaze. He felt his body stirring slightly but it was not lust which filled him; but rather a deep and profound love. He could not believe she was here with him, or that she had so freely and easily admitted her love. He'd been so sure he would need to grovel and woo her before she would even feel one tenth of the love he saw shining from her eyes as she watched him. And now, after all this time, he was very likely going to destroy that love.

The twenty years he had spent apart from her had felt like centuries and that was not an exaggeration. "Sarah," he asked quietly. "How old do you think I am?"

The surprised expression on her face indicated that was not what Sarah was expecting to hear. "Thirty- eight?" she guessed.

Jareth smiled. "I might look about that old to you, but I am older."

"How old?"

"I am one thousand, one hundred and fourteen years old. My birthday is in a few weeks, although I probably won't be celebrating. One thousand, one hundred and fifteen is a bit of a low key birthday." He attempted a cocky grin at this weak joke.

Sarah looked at him with started and slightly frightened eyes. Jareth wanted to wrap his arm tighter around her shoulders and pull her body against his, but he was afraid of frightening her so instead he stroked her back a few times before settling his hand gently on her blanket covered knee. He hoped the gesture was comforting.

"So you're immortal as well as omnipotent?"

Jareth felt himself smiling at her words. "I'm neither actually; definitely not omnipotent. And as a matter of fact, I am as human as you are. But here in my world, I simply do not age. Nobody does." He watched Sarah's eyes flicker back and forth for a second as though processing what he said and filing the information away for later.

"So are you the only human here, aside from me at the moment? I've never seen any others."

"I am currently. Occasionally another human manages to stumble into this realm, but it is rare. Most humans have lost the inherent magic they possessed and now cannot cross over from your world."

"But you can go back and forth," she said. It was a statement, not a question. "Were you born here?"

"No, I wasn't," he replied. He was impressed by her astute line of thought. "I was born in what is now the United Kingdom in around 900 A.D. The Danes had control of London at the time, although the city wasn't much to look at. It has been sacked and burned so many times it is a wonder they continued to rebuild." He glanced over at Sarah before continuing. "But we'll save the history lesson for another time. Let's just say that back then things were a lot different and magic was accepted by all as real. I don't mean the phony conjurers or the herbalists who brewed potions, although the latter at least had some useful skills. Real magic, like I have the power to wield, is a unique mixture of natural talent and an understanding of scientific principal."

"So you were… a magician?"

"Not in the traditionally accepted sense of the word. I was born with a certain understanding and ability to use magic, but I kept it hidden. Being burned alive was not my idea of a good time and that's what would have happened had it become well known. But I practiced and studied in private and when I was nineteen years old I inadvertently opened a portal into this realm. Then, being the impulsive young man that I was, I stepped through it."

"What was it like?"

"Things here do not change much without an outside force acting upon them. It was very similar to how it is now aside from a few key differences. When I arrived for the first time the kingdom was ruled by a beautiful and benevolent queen."

"Another human?"

"No, she was a fairy."

"Like the ones I've seen before? The ones Hoggle raises?"

"Essentially, yes, although she looked more like a human. She was the same size as a human and appeared about the same age as myself back then. Her affinity was with the fairies, just as mine is with the goblins. Most magic users have a certain bond with a particular species or a specific animal."

"Like a witch's familiar."

"Precisely. Their magic calls out to ours and together we become stronger. At the time fairies were the most magical and the most abundant creatures in this world and their queen was the most amazing woman I had ever beheld."

Sarah shifted a bit but remained silent. Jareth studied her face for a moment while he thought back to the first time he'd seen the fairy queen all those centuries ago. Sarah was every bit as beautiful, but her face was not as innocent as the queen's when he'd first laid eyes on her. Sarah's lips were swollen from his kisses and her skin still retained the slightest flush of arousal for earlier. Jareth could look into her eyes all day but knew he needed to continue his story so he sighed and looked away.

"She was an innocent. She welcomed me to her world, and her castle, and eventually to her bed. I stayed with her for over one hundred years and she helped me to develop my magical abilities far beyond what I would have been able to accomplish on my own back in the common world."

"Did you love her?"

"For a time I did. I was grateful to her for her help, and for letting me stay here instead of in the barbaric world from which I came. She was so different from anyone I'd ever seen before that I couldn't help but be dazzled by her."

"Did you get married? Is that how you became king?"

"No we didn't marry. It wasn't something that mattered as much back then. If you loved someone and were with them then you were considered mated, whether you married or not. I became king because eventually I vanquished her and took the throne for myself."

"Vanquished her?" she repeated warily. Just as he had been expecting, Sarah recoiled from him at these words. "You mean… you mean you killed her?" she asked.

"Yes…no. Well, not directly," he replied.


	28. The Queen's Defeat

Chapter 28 The Queen's Defeat

"I'm not a nice man Sarah, but I've never outright killed anyone," Jareth said, but he couldn't meet her eyes because of the pain and shame he still felt after all these centuries.

"So what do you mean when you said you vanquished her?"

"I was arrogant and stupid. The queen was kindness and graciousness itself, but eventually I began to believe I knew better than her how this world should be run. I was already a few hundred years old by that point but still as hotheaded as the teenager who had arrived on her doorstep." Jareth sighed and shifted slightly, giving Sarah some room. "Our personal relationship had ended but we remained friends because we were the two most powerful magic users in the land. But eventually even that friendship deteriorated."

"What happened?" Sarah shadowed his movement slightly-shifting into the empty space he had just vacated- remaining close to his body without actually touching. Her expression was less wary and more curious and Jareth felt his heart lift slightly. At least she was willing to hear him out now that she knew he wasn't some kind of axe murderer. He expected that would change once she heard the rest of his story. He simply looked at her for a few minutes, trying to savor what could very well be the last time she looked on him with anything but disdain or hatred.

Jareth could no longer remain still. He felt the weight of his guilt pressing down on him again, as it had done for centuries, and he got up to pace around the room. "Eventually I challenged her authority. I attacked her with my power and she fought back." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Until that point I hadn't realized how truly powerful she was. I was no match for her on my own."

"But you beat her somehow."

"Yes. I told you that my affinity is with the goblins. They were a very powerful magical creature back then."

"They seem pretty senseless and silly to me," she interjected.

"They are now, thanks to me. When I realized I could not defeat the queen on my own I called upon my connection to the goblins and I drew power from them. I could funnel it through me body and direct it at her like a laser beam. It was the only way I could beat her. But I went too far."

A single tear escaped from Jareth's eye and he turned away so Sarah couldn't see it. "I took it all, drained them. Simple creatures that they are, they couldn't stop me any more than I could stop myself." Jareth felt his chest tighten at the thought of what he had done. The poor stupid goblins. He'd taken the one thing that made them special. Every time he looked at one of their simple little faces he was reminded of the wrong he had done them. For a while Jareth was lost in the terrible memory but then Sarah's sweet voice drew him back to the present.

"What happened then?"

"She realized what I was doing but she refused to do the same. I suspect the fairies would have happily given their power to save her, but she would not stoop as low as I did. She surrendered and relinquished her throne to me."

"And she left? That was it?"

"No, unfortunately. I still didn't fully grasp the gravity of my actions. I took her powers for myself and I banished her from this realm."

"Where did she go?"

Jareth turned to stare at her. "Can't you guess?"

Sarah looked thoughtful. "To my world?"

Jareth nodded. "I sent her there to die. She only lived forty more years."

"Forty years… this was what, back in the dark ages?"

Jareth nodded once again.

"But that was a pretty long life back then."

"It's a mere blink of an eye compared to immortality."

Sarah murmured slightly in agreement and her eyes took on a faraway look. "I wonder how she coped. I can't imagine what it would have been like for her. To have had all this and then to lose it…"

"I didn't feel it at first, but when I eventually matured I realized how much I had wronged her. But by then she had been long dead. Sarah, I've lived with the shame of my actions for more than twenty of your lifetimes and now you know. Do you think you can ever forgive me?"

"Forgive you?" Sarah gave him a confused look. "I am disturbed by what you've told me, but I don't see that I have anything to forgive you for."

"You haven't guessed it then?"

"Guessed what?"

Jareth sat back down next to her and put his hand on Sarah's face. To his relief she did not pull away from him. "That first time that we met…did you never wonder why I was watching you? How I came to hear your words and why I took Toby to get your attention?"

He stared into her beautiful eyes and waited a moment while she processed what he was saying. However, she remained silent and he could not. Jareth moved his hand to smooth her hair back before cupping her cheek again.

"She had children, Sarah. All those centuries ago she married and had three children before she died. Part of me thought I should bring her children back here where they belonged, but I never did it. Her family line continued on and expanded. I saw no reason to contact them other than to salve my own conscience so I didn't interfere. I didn't _interfere_, but I kept watch generation after generation, for all these years."

"You mean…"

Jareth nodded in answer to her almost question. "Yes, the queen was your ancestor. I've watched over you, and your family, for generations."


	29. Forgiveness

Chapter 29 Forgiveness

Throughout their long conversation Sarah had remained seated on his bed, her mostly exposed body only partially covered by the comforter she had wrapped around her. Jareth watched her expression closely while she processed his last statement, looking for some indication of what she was feeling. After nearly two minutes of stillness and silence she threw the covers back, got up and reached for a shirt. Jareth's heart sank as he watched, convinced she was going to storm out and leave him alone again. But then he noticed the shirt she had picked up was his own- a frill collared, long sleeved thing which he was partially pleased, partially annoyed to see looked better on her than it did on him. The fact that she would wear his clothes, and that she was apparently not going anywhere just yet, gave him hope.

She paced around for another moment and, with her back facing him, asked "So you've watched my family for all these centuries?"

"Yes," he said and nodded in confirmation even though he knew she couldn't see him. He felt the need to move and release some tension, but he didn't want her to feel like he was crowding her in the room so he remained still and let her continue to pace this time.

"Have you… spoken to any of my other family members? My ancestors, I mean."

"No."

"So I'm the first one you… been in love with?" she asked haltingly.

At that Jareth did stand up. When she had turned again in her nervous rambling around the room he stepped in her path and made her pause. Jareth gently took hold of her arms and looked into her eyes. He felt his heart contract when he saw the confusion and concern there.

"You're the only woman I've ever truly been in love with Sarah. Ever." He wanted to kiss her again, to convince her with his lips and body that he was telling the truth. But he knew how much he had wronged her and that she would most likely not welcome his advances. He was to be surprised again.

"So if you hadn't banished the queen to my world, my family line wouldn't exist and I would never have been born," she said in an almost matter of fact time.

Jareth was well aware of this fact, it had circled his mind endlessly for decades, but he pretended to consider it for a moment while she continued to collect her thoughts. "True," he said after a moment.

"So I guess I would be pretty stupid to resent what happened," she continued. "I don't like what you did, but I can't be unhappy about it without saying I'm unhappy to be alive right now. And it seems to me that you regret what you did."

"So much," he replied quietly. The pain of his past was constantly with him. The dual burdens of having wronged the queen and having robbed the goblins of their powers had been his constant companions and the primary reasons he had become bitter and, occasionally cruel.

"It's not my place to forgive you for your past," Sarah said and Jareth felt his heart sink. "Only you can do that."

He nodded and let go of her arms, but instead of moving away she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It's my place to love you, and to make sure you do better from now on."

He wasn't quite sure he'd heard her correctly, but she was embracing him and her face was buried in his neck beneath the raised collar of his robe. Jareth wrapped his arms around her automatically and stood for a moment while he processed her words- not quite sure he believed her.

"Do you really mean it? You can say you love me after everything I've told you?"

"I do love you Jareth. I have since I was a teenager and I always will.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sometime later, after many minutes of holding each other, crying, laughing in relief and kissing, they had to step apart again. Jareth's entire body protested letting her go. He wanted to make love to Sarah then and there, but knew he would lose all control of himself and the magic he was currently working so hard to control.

The strain of slowing time to a crawl was significantly greater than he'd told Sarah and he was determined to keep things as easy as possible for her. Having to explain her absence to her family would be difficult if she was gone for more than a few hours in her time. So instead of acting upon his urges he held her away from him and smiled. His heart felt lighter than it had in several hundred years.

By now it was late afternoon, but there would still be several hours of sunlight left. He had a mental debate for a moment before planting one last kiss on Sarah's lips and then gently pushing her towards the door.

"Get dressed," he instructed. "I think it would be best if we leave today yet."

"Leave for where? You're not sending me home already, are you?"

"No, not yet," he replied. The hint of worry in her voice was enough to make his smile widen to a grin. "We're leaving for the castle."


End file.
